


Angels in Captivity

by abstractSilver (Starlightstiel)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Angels, Captivity, Dominant/Top Castiel, Hurt Castiel, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mpreg, Mpreg Dean, Nesting, Protective Castiel, Rough Sex, Slow Build, Submissive/Bottom Dean, Unethical Experimentation, eggfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-24
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-24 11:22:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 58,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/939397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlightstiel/pseuds/abstractSilver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dean Winchester manages to land an internship with the world's most recognized angelic research facility, he doesn't think things can get any better. However, his euphoria begins to wear off when he starts to uncover some of the dark secrets that the labs have gone through great measures to keep quiet. </p><p>With this knowledge, Dean must navigate a difficult and dangerous path in order to find out the truth behind the facade. Unfortunately, there are forces at work that will stop at nothing to make sure that his discoveries never see the light of day. Of course, there is also the matter of the blue eyed angel... the one he can't stop dreaming about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the SPN Kink meme. Prompt is here: http://spnkink-meme.livejournal.com/73050.html?thread=25775450#t25775450
> 
> I was posting it there, but due to length decided that this would be a bit easier. 
> 
> WARNINGS: This fic contains some very dark content, specifically in later chapters. There is a bit of dubcon (NOT between Dean and Castiel) later in the fic. 
> 
> Also, mpreg Dean. If that isn't your thing you probably shouldn't read. This was written for the kink meme, so there are going to be a lot of kinks here that are definitely not run-of-the-mill. I will try to make sure I tag for everything as it is added though. 
> 
> That said, thank you for choosing to read this fic! I worked really hard on it and I hope that you enjoy it.

“Name?”

“Winchester. Dean.” An eager green eyed young man with a spattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose replied as he shrugged his backpack off and pulled out a heap of bent papers. The guard glanced at him with disinterest, then made a point of yawning loudly as Dean tried frantically to straighten the documents before handing them over. The other man snatched them out of his hands and flipped through them roughly. Dean gulped as he leaned to the side a bit so he could read the shiny name badge pinned on his chest.

“So, uh... Gordon? Nice day, right?” He tried his best to give him a winning smile, but the guard did not seem amused. After he finished flipping through the papers, he turned to his clipboard and scanned it carefully, then made a small note next to something Dean assumed was his name.

“Alright Winchester.” He finally said as he shoved the paper's back into Dean's hands. He nearly stumbled over as he scrambled to hold them all, and managed to get them back into his backpack just in time for Gordon to push a lanyard at him. “That is your ID and access badge. _Don't_ lose it.”

Dean examined the small plastic card carefully. A portrait of himself was plastered onto the front in addition to his name and physical details. On the flip-side, the only thing was a black strip that he assumed was meant to be scanned. Gordon huffed impatiently, and Dean immediately put the lanyard around his neck.

“So this is how it is going to go,” Gordon began as he gave Dean a look that made the younger man gulp nervously, “you come check in with me as soon as you get here in the morning. You forget that badge-” he stared pointedly at the card on Dean's lanyard, “you aren't getting in. You hear me?”

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it, and simply nodded.

“Good. The front desk is in that building.” He motioned toward a large, fancy building, completely white an shimmering in the afternoon sun. “Give them your name and show them your card. Once you sign in, you will be escorted to the actual reserve.”

Dean continued to nod, rubbing his hands in excitement and anticipation as he took a few steps towards where Gordon had directed him. He immediately felt a tug on his arm and nearly fell as the officer pulled him back. “Not so fast kid. You listen to me, and you listen to me _real_ good. I don't want any funny business, do you hear? I won't hesitate to cuff your ass and drag you to the local jail myself if you try anything... unsavory.”

Dean huffed slightly, pulling his arm out of the man's grasp. “I'll keep that in mind.”

Gordon stared intently into his eyes, finally seeming satisfied. He pulled back, smiling widely at Dean and then proceeding to give him an extremely rough slap on the back. Dean flinched. Gordon just grinned even more. “Atta boy. Now, you see anything... suspicious, you come to me, you hear?” Dean nodded quickly, rubbing a hand over his sore shoulder. “But don't even think about bothering me for anything else. Now scram.”

Dean obeyed immediately, scrambling toward the building before Gordon decided he wanted to yell at him some more. He hoped there was another morning guard. The idea of having to see the other man first thing when he arrived at the facility did not sound like the way to start his day.

The front lobby of the building was completely empty, probably because no one without permission was allowed past Gordon. Dean approached the counter apprehensively and tried his best to keep up a charming smile. A petite blonde was typing furiously on a computer, completely oblivious to Dean's approach.

“...Um, excuse me.” He started, fidgeting with one of the straps on his backpack. The receptionist still didn't look up front her frantic typing. If anything, it only increased.

“Uh, miss?”

“Just a sec!” She replied, not even turning to look at him. He felt a mild twinge of irritation, but quickly suppressed it. He wanted to make a good impression on his first day. No matter how excited he was, he couldn't let himself get too impatient. She continued typing for several minutes, the anxiety in Dean's gut twisting tighter in anticipation of his first actual encounter with an angel. After a small giggle and a sigh at something on the screen, she rolled her chair around to face him.

“..Oh!” She started, eyes widening as she took him in. A warm blush began to creep into Dean's cheeks as he realized that the secretary was actually _checking him out_. It wasn't like he wasn't used to being checked out; Dean was well aware that he qualified as good looking. He just wasn't expecting that _here_. After taking a moment to recover, he flashed her his signature Winchester grin. Dean could practically see her melting as she frantically stood up, jabbing her hand at him. “I'm Becky!”

He took her hand and shook it firmly, continuing to smile. “Hey, Becky. I'm Dean. Dean Winchester.”

Recognition at his name dawned on her face, and she immediately began to nod while flipping through a stack of papers near her computer. “Right. You're the behavioral intern?”

Dean nodded, flashing her the ID card on his lanyard. “That's me.”

“Great! I just need you to sign this waiver.” She handed him a form as well as a pen. “Pretty standard. Basically it just says that your family won't sue us if you get severely injured or die.”

Dean hesitated for a moment, looking back up at her with eyebrows raised. She just laughed nervously, fidgeting with her hands as she rolled back and forth in her chair. “Don't worry. We haven't had that happen for quite a while.”

He suppressed the urge to ask more about the incident. It was the first he had heard about something like that happening. Then again, this facility was kept as secret as possible and hardly any information was released to the public. The forced capture of angels for the re-population program was already controversial, an incident like that being made known would be a public relations nightmare. Dean could only imagine the effort that the organization must have gone through to keep something like that a secret.

“Ah, you must be the new kid.”

Dean straightened his back and turned around to face the newcomer. She was a petite woman, but the fire in her eyes more than made up for her small stature. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she was wearing enough khaki to make it obvious she worked outside.

“Dean.” He finally responded, reaching his hand out to her in a belated greeting. He couldn't help but smile at her as he did. She was pretty. Very pretty.

“Bela.” She countered, taking his hand and giving it a hard shake. “I hope you'll excuse my clothing,” she glanced down at her slightly dirty shirt, sighing. “I just returned from the field. Managed to bag another one. Honestly, this program would go _completely_ belly up without me.”

Dean grinned; Bela's mirth was practically contagious. “Bagged another what?”

Bela just laughed as though he had said something infinitely hilarious, her shoulders shaking as soft curls fell in front of her eyes. She managed to reign herself in however, sizing Dean up as she placed her hands on her hips. “You really are new around here.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe you can show me around.” He shot back. She just smirked and rolled her eyes.

“Don't get your hopes up kid, I'm _way_ out of your league.” She replied airily, looking down at the watch on her wrist and then groaning. “Ugh, I need to go. Apparently they are having trouble getting one of those feather-brains to behave.” Dean tilted his head slightly in confusion at her words.

“Feather brains?”

“You know; angels. Come on darling, use your upstairs brain. Think about where you are.” She teased, and Dean felt his face flush slightly in embarrassment. He wasn't used to people in the field of angelic conservation using such derogatory terminology. Then again, from the sounds of it Bela wasn't a scientist, she was a trapper. Trappers had a bit of a bad wrap in the field, rumors of the cruel methods they used to capture their targets ran rampant. He wasn't sure how much of it was true, but Bela seemed kind enough. He had a hard time believing she would be the type of person to employ such crude and damaging tactics, especially considering the fact she was trapping for a breeding program. Angels did not breed well in captivity in the best of conditions, and it was important to have happy and healthy specimens for there to be any real chance of success.

“Well, as much as I am loving our little chat, I had best be going.” Bela continued, oblivious to the discomforting effect her words had on Dean. “They are going to need me to give them a report on the capture of our newest edition.”

Dean nodded as she walked away, smiling despite himself as she flashed him a grin and a wink. He was still staring after her when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Yelping, he turned around quickly and brushed the hand off. The man put his hands up and laughed, his eyes kind. “Woah there cowboy, you're more skittish than a wildlin'.”

“Sorry, you just startled me.” Dean replied, embarrassed that he had been caught so off guard by the other man. The man didn't seem to be put out in the least however, he just continued to grin as he looked at Bela's retreating form and then back at Dean.

“So, checkin' out Talbot? Can't say you have bad taste, brother, bet she told you-”

“-That I was way out of her league, yeah.” Dean finished, grinning widely and sharing a small laugh with the other man.

“Well, I'm Benny.” The man stated, reaching his hand out in greeting. Dean shook it heartily.

“I'm Dean-”

“Winchester, thought so.” Benny nodded. “You 'ave that look, like you don't know where to be.”

Dean's face flushed at Benny's words. It was true, he was incredibly nervous and he knew that he was coming across as way more awkward than normal. This was his _dream_ though. The fact he got an internship here was almost a miracle. The facility hated letting outsiders in. He wanted to make sure he didn't do anything that might get him kicked out. “Someone was going to meet me here and show me around. I'm just waiting for them.”

“Well, I'm pleased to say you don't have to wait much longer, brother. That guide happens to be me. You get him all checked in?” Benny questioned, turning his attention to Becky. She nodded quickly, blushing as Dean caught her eye. “Alright then, ready?”

“As ready as I'll ever be.” He responded, feeling the nervous excitement swell once more in his chest. He was going to see an angel. A wild angel. Few people could claim that. There were a handful of angels in zoos, but they were all bred in captivity. Angels from the wild were much too dangerous to be around the general public, even with the extra security precautions taken.

Benny motioned for Dean to follow him as he made his way to the back end of the building and then through the set of doors that led outside. Dean looked around the area as he followed his guide, impressed by the massive forest that sprawled behind the facility. He assumed that was where the sanctuary was. Benny hopped into a small jeep that was parked at the edge of the forest, beckoning Dean into the passenger's seat.

“So, this your first time around angels?” He asked conversationally, putting the jeep into drive and easing it onto a small dirt path that wound through the tangle of trees. Dean nodded in affirmation.

“I've worked closely with the ones at the zoo here, but I know that angels bred in captivity are nothing like those caught from the wild.”

“They sure aren't.” Benny agreed, continuing to go slowly so that Dean could get a good look at all of the surroundings. He saw the edge of massive fences through the foliage, running parallel to the road. He assumed that they were there to keep the angels in.

“Angels nest in trees.” Dean began, confused about how those fences managed to keep them in. “Even though most can't fly, couldn't they just climb a tree and glide over the fence?”

“Excellent question.” Benny responded, taking a sharp turn left. “All of our angels are collared. They get too close to the fence, the collar gives them a nice shock- oh don't look at me like that.” He laughed at the horrified expression on Dean's face. “I know it sounds crude, but believe me. The reserve is huge. They have plenty of room for nesting and anything else. Only the new ones ever even attempt it.”

“That seems... a bit inhumane.” Dean replied, still uncomfortable with the idea of using physical pain to deter bad behavior. Benny sighed, nodding softly.

“I know brother, I don't like it either. But there isn't much else we can do. We have to keep them in somehow, and it's better than chaining them up.”

Dean nodded in reluctant acceptance, staring once more at the fenced off areas. “How close can they get before it... kicks in?”

“About 10 feet. Keep watching and you might see a few of them near the edges. They're curious creatures, that's for sure. They'll know you are new.”

Dean nodded, feeling a bit of excitement at the prospect of actually seeing an angel. Unfortunately, although he saw some rustling in the brush, he didn't manage to catch a single glimpse. Eventually Benny began to slow the jeep down, pulling into a small dirt parking area in front of another facility building. This one was much larger than the entrance building, and sprawled out instead of up. It was made out of wood, and blended well with the trees around it.

“Well, we're here.” Benny stated, turning the engine off and stepping out of the vehicle. Dean followed him immediately, still staring at the building.

“Is this where the breeding program is?” He questioned, following the other man towards the entrance.

“Breeding program, medical services and... behavior modification training.” Benny responded, scanning his badge at the door and pulling it open to let Dean through. Dean wondered briefly what behavior modification training consisted of, but decided that he didn't really want to know right now. “Your badge should grant you access into the building, but there are certain areas that are going to be off-limits to you.”

Dean nodded, suspecting as much. He wasn't even an employee, just a graduate student that ended up getting really lucky. He followed Benny out of the main lobby and down a side hallway, eagerly looking around at the various unmarked doors. “Most of those are storage rooms.” Benny offered, as though he could sense the curiosity of Dean's thoughts. “Medical supplies, trapping equipment... We keep them here instead of the front facility so they can be accessed more quickly.”

They continued walking, Benny occasionally stopping to point out what doors led where, and if Dean was allowed access to them or not. Eventually, they reached a set of large metal doors, and Benny turned to him with a large grin. “The medical facility is through here. Bela just captured an angel for our program, and she is probably in there getting her preliminary checkup and fertility test. Are you ready to meet your first angel?”

Dean nodded rapidly, feeling the excitement from earlier once again flutter in his chest. Benny scanned his card against the door once more, holding it open as Dean stepped hesitantly through.

The medical center was completely different from the rest of the complex, and Dean felt a bit taken aback by the sudden change in atmosphere. Instead of the sterile and colorless feel the rest of the building had, there were lots of small trinkets of decorations, and even magazines on a table next to some comfy looking chairs. The walls were painted a bright and cheery yellow color, and cartoon style feathers decorated the trim. He turned to Benny, slightly confused. Benny just grinned as he flopped down on one of the chairs and picked up a magazine. “Missouri hated the feel of the old clinic. When she was hired to replace the last doctor, she accepted the position under the condition she could decorate it however she wanted to.”  


Dean shrugged his backpack off and sat down on one of the plush chairs, too nervous to bother trying to read.

Eventually, the doors opened and a frazzled looking redhead came stumbling in carrying a cup of coffee and a half eaten bagel. Her eyes darted frantically to the wall on the clock, then over to where Dean and Benny were waiting. “Ah! I'm so late!” She groaned, setting the food down and wiping her hands on her jeans. “Sorry about that!”

“It's no problem.” Dean quickly responded, standing up. “I'm Dean.”

“So you're the new kid that everyone is talking about.” She grinned, sizing him up. “I'm Charlie. I hope that Benny here hasn't told you any horror stories about me.”

“Dean here has never seen a wild angel.” Benny stated, and Charlie turned to stare at him in shock. “I figured the new one might be here for her checkup with Missouri.”

Charlie frowned, shaking her head slightly. “I don't think so. Missouri wanted my help with that one, she would have texted me in early. They are probably going to stick her in quarantine for 24 hours first. Apparently she is kind of sickly, and they want to make sure she doesn't have anything that might be passed on to the other angels.”

“What happens to her if she does?” Dean asked, curious. “Do you release her?”

Charlie's face immediately fell and she stared down at the ground, toeing at the floor sullenly. Benny placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked over at Dean with an equally pained expression. Dean felt something twist in his gut as realization hit.

“You euthanize them, don't you.” Dean said. It wasn't a question.

“We don't want to.” Charlie immediately responded, head snapping up. “We just don't have a choice. The organization has very strict policies about angels that aren't fit for the program.”

Benny seemed to sense the sudden tension in the air, and decided to change the subject. “Where's Missouri, Charlie? Doesn't she normally get here before you?”

“She's probably doing an exam in the back.” Charlie responded, picking her coffee up off the desk and taking a sip. “I can go back there and ask if it is alright for Dean to come watch. After all, it would be his first up-close encounter with a _real_ angel.” Her tone had gone from sullen to teasing, and Dean was glad that they were able to move on from the previous somber topic.

Benny nodded, and Charlie gave them a small wave as she pushed through the rotating door that probably led to the back of the clinic and the exam rooms. After a couple of minutes, she poked her head back out and motioned for Dean to follow her. It took all of his willpower not to run as he followed, the excitement in his chest almost reaching a boiling point.

“Try to stay calm.” Charlie whispered as they approached the exam room, nudging him comfortingly. “Angels are very perceptive. He will be able to sense your excitement, and that might agitate him.” Dean nodded quickly as they stopped outside of the room, suddenly unsure. Charlie seemed to sense this, because she gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. “Don't worry. Inias is one of our most well behaved angels. You'll be fine.”

“Are you going to stand out there, or are you going to come in?” Dean heard a voice from the other side of the door chide, and Charlie rolled her eyes as she opened it and ushered Dean inside. The room was relatively large, and just as cheerily decorated as the lobby.

“Inias, this is Dean.” Missouri stated, motioning towards him. The angel that was sitting on the table lifted his eyes to meet Dean's, and then quickly lowered them again as his wings trembled and flattened against the table.

“Inias is a very submissive angel.” Charlie said to Dean, walking forward and examining his lowered wings. She frowned deeply and reached out gently, running a finger down one of the delicate bones near the edge. Inias tried to flinch away, but the leather cuffs that held him to the table didn't allow it. “Broken wing?”

“Unfortunately.” Missouri sighed, picking up a syringe that was filled with a clear liquid and holding it against the exposed area where his wing met his back. “Scuffle over dominance.”

“Ion again?” Charlie groaned, holding Inias' wing in place as Missouri began to wrap it carefully with gauze. The other woman just nodded. “That's the third one this month he has injured, all submissives. Why hasn't he been put in solitary yet?”

“Hester is carrying his clutch right now, you know that.” Missouri responded, rubbing Inias gently on the back as he moaned slightly in pain. “We have a better chance of a live hatching this time if we can keep her stress to a minimum. Locking her mate away is not the way to do that.” 

“Could you put them in confinement together?” Dean suggested, speaking up for the first time since entering the examination room. Missouri didn’t look up from where she was carefully wrapping Inias’ wing, but she responded immediately. 

“And take her away from the small amount of comfort she has managed to make for herself since being taken from her home and forced into a breeding facility? Really child? I thought you would be kinder than that. You of all people should know how hard it is for angels to be taken from their homes. You’ve spent the last five years studying them, right?” 

Dean lowered his eyes to the ground, shame prickling the back of his neck. Missouri was right. Taking a pregnant angel away from her environment and forcing her to start her nest from scratch again, away from the comfort of her companions, was a horrible idea. Even if she was with her mate, it would do little to ease the stress from that kind of scenario. 

“Now now, I know you meant well.” Missouri spoke again, her voice much gentler this time. “And it is true that something needs to be done about Ion if we want to prevent this from happening to more angels. Whatever it is though, it will have to wait until after the birth.” 

Dean was troubled by the issue, but he had to agree with Missouri that there wasn't really anything that could be done about it right now. He winced in sympathy as Missouri finished wrapping Inias' wing and gave the angel a final pat on the back. He extended his bandaged wing slowly, staring at it in fascination as he moved it experimentally. His range of motion was severely impaired now, but it was obvious that whatever shot Missouri had given him alleviated much of the pain.

Inias looked between Missouri and Charlie, obvious relief and affection on his face. With his good wing, he nudged Charlie's shoulder gently and whispered something soft and somewhat guttural. At first Dean was confused, but immediately fascination took hold as he realized what had just happened. “He- he's speaking in Enochian!”

Charlie laughed at Dean's obvious excitement, absentmindedly petting Inias' wing as the angel crooned and leaned into her touch. “First time hearing it?”

“In person.” Dean admitted, silently hoping that Inias would say something else. Once Missouri finished putting the leftover bandaging materials away, she turned back to Inias and stuck her hands on her hips, speaking firmly but gently.

“We're trying to get him to use English. Inias, say “thank you” in English, not Enochian.” Inias immediately flattened his wings, gazing up at Missouri and then looking away as he fidgeted with his hands.

“Why can't he use Enochian?” Dean questioned, feeling a twinge of sympathy in his chest for the obviously uncomfortable angel in front of him. Charlie smiled sadly at him as she picked up the empty syringe and tossed it into the wastebasket.

“We've had Inias for quite a while, but he seems to be having a harder time picking up English than many of the other angels. We aren't sure if this is due to inability or reluctance, but practice seems to be the best way to try and help him along.”

Inias looked up at Dean with a slight blush on his cheeks, holding his gaze for a bit longer than he had the first time. “Th..thank you.”

It wasn't perfect by a long shot, and if Dean wasn't already aware of what he was trying to say he might not have caught it, but he couldn't stop the thrill that the words sent through him. An actual angel, one caught directly from the wild, had spoken to him in a language that he could actually understand. He was so caught up in his excitement that he missed the knowing looks Charlie and Missouri were sending his way.

“I think he likes you.” Missouri finally said, and Charlie had to bring a hand to her mouth to try and hide her slight giggle. Dean noticed it anyways, but he was still confused.

“Well, that's good right? I want to get to know all of the angels here.” He crouched down so he was at eye level with Inias, smiling at him and reaching a hesitant hand out to stroke his uninjured wing. The angel didn't want to wait for him though, and pushed the ridge insistently into Dean's outstretched palm. Dean stroked his wing gently as the angel sighed happily, in awe of how soft the feathers were.

“No, Dean. She means he _really_ likes you.” Charlie managed to get out between giggles. Dean jerked his hand way immediately as he realized what Charlie was implying, earning him a dismayed whine from Inias. He felt a bit of a blush begin to creep into his face when he noticed that Inias' wings were hanging low and wide, quivering slightly and ruffling the tawny feathers. He knew that form well from his studies and was a bit embarrassed he hadn't noticed it before. Inias was posturing for him as a potential mate.

“Oh, um... S-sorry.” Dean began, standing up and backing away from the angel. “I'm not-I mean I'm flattered but-” Inias seemed to understand the gist of what Dean was saying, or at least that it was a rejection, if the way his head dropped in defeat and his wings folded back in was anything to go by.  


A light knock on the door distracted him from the awkward situation as Benny stuck his head in. “You ready to go, brother? Hate to cut it short, but there is still a lot to show you.”

“Good timing, Benny.”

Charlie grinned, her laughing fit finally settling down. “Seems like Dean is going to be rather popular around here. First day and he already has an admirer.”

“Is that so?” Benny laughed as he gave Dean a hearty pat on the back. “Well, wait until you meet the rest of them.”  
“Are we going to do that now?” Dean questioned eagerly. Benny just grinned and nodded.

“Well, thank you ladies.” Benny said to Charlie and Missouri. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal Casanova here though.”

“Come see us again boy.” Missouri said warmly, pulling Dean into a tight hug before releasing him. “You're practically family now. You ever need anything, and I mean _anything_ , Charlie and I are here for you.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” He responded, feeling something warm settle in his chest. His first day jitters were beginning to die down. So far, everyone was incredibly accepting. He had been worried he would be seen as too much of an outsider to be accepted right away, but so far his fears were turning out to be completely unfounded.

“Bye, Inias.” Dean called to the angel as he followed Benny through the open door. Inias looked up briefly and smiled, then gave him a small farewell wave. Dean liked Inias. He was nothing like the wild, dangerous angels he had heard rumors of. Then again, submissive angels were rarely violent, even those taken from the wild.

“So, ready to take a look at the breeding program?” Benny questioned as he led Dean out of the medical facility and back into the hallway. Dean nodded eagerly, clutching the straps of his backpack as he followed Benny down the hallway and towards another set of large doors.

Benny scanned his card once more and pushed the doors open, causing sunlight to filter softly into the hallway. Dean was surprised that the breeding facility was outside, but it made sense. The more closely that they could imitate an angel's natural habitat, the more likely it was that there would be a successful breeding. Keeping stress down was essential.

“This is the breeding facility.” Benny stated as he led Dean down the cobblestone path and towards an area with several enclosures that were sectioned off with chain-link fence. They were much smaller than the ones he had seen on the jeep ride, probably only about a hundred feet wide and completely square. Each one had a couple of large trees for nesting and a small stream and pond for grooming.

“How do you decide which angels to bring here?” Dean questioned as they passed a young female angel with wide eyes who stared at them as they walked by. Her gray wings were set in the same low posture that Inias' had been, and she pressed herself against the bars in a way that looked almost painful.

“Angels in their heat come here. You know what happens when an unmated angel goes into heat, right?”

“The dominant angels will fight for the right to breed, right?”

“Bingo. Looks like that college paid off.” Benny teased, stopping as they reached a small, circular area with benches facing the different enclosures. “Normally the alpha keeps the peace, and is the one who intervenes when there are scuffles.”

“But you don't have an alpha,” Dean sighed, frowning slightly. Alphas were extremely rare. They were infinitely more powerful and thus more dangerous than regular angels. Myth and legend often said that alphas were the original angels cast out of heaven, which explained their seeming agelessness and almost supernatural abilities.

“Well...” Benny seemed to be at a loss for words, and Dean's curiosity was immediately piqued.

“You-you have an alpha?” Dean spluttered, stunned. No one, to his knowledge, had ever managed to successfully trap an alpha. Almost nothing was known about the mysterious leaders of the handful of known wild angelic clans. One being captured was _huge_. The sheer amount of information that could be learned from was staggering.

“Why don't I show you?” He offered, and Dean found himself nodding rapidly. Benny just laughed at his enthusiasm and motioned for him to follow.

Dean could barely keep the skip out of his step as he followed Benny past the breeding pens. Eventually they stopped near an isolated enclosure, set a good distance apart from all the others. Dean couldn't even see the breeding pens anymore through the thick trees. It was easily three times the size of the enclosures behind him, and instead of chain-link there were thick iron bars encircling it. They were spaced quite close together, with only enough room to stick a hand through at the most.

“Don't get too close.” Benny warned, stopping a good ten feet in front of the cage. “And whatever you do, brother, don't stick any of your limbs in there. He'll rip them off faster than you can blink.”

Dean gulped, anticipation and a bit of fear coiling tight in his belly. Benny motioned for Dean to stand still, then took a couple of steps closer to the cage. Dean tilted his head to the side and strained to see anything in the cage. So far, nothing.

“Castiel!” Benny called, voice loud and firm. Dean held his breath in expectation, but nothing happened. Benny sighed and called once more. Still nothing.

“Someone is being antisocial today...” He groaned. “Castiel! There is someone you might like to meet!”

Dean held his breath as he kept his eyes on the tops of the trees. The alpha, Castiel, must be up there somewhere. It was the only area in his enclosure that was completely hidden from view. Benny continued to yell, and after several minutes Dean saw some of the branches shift minutely. He wasn't sure if it was the wind or the alpha, but he felt his heart jackhammer in his chest anyways.

“Castiel, come on.” Benny practically pleaded. “Dean's a nice kid. You'll like him. Now get down here.”

Dean yelped as a massive dark shape darted out of the canopy and landed on graceful feet. The figure now standing before him was like no angel he had ever seen before. Black wings, the darkest he had ever seen, extended out impossibly wide and arched high in a threatening stance. His icy blue eyes were scathing as he trained them on Dean, and Dean found himself taking a fearful step back despite the distance and barrier between them.

Benny managed to stand his ground, but Dean couldn't help but notice even he was a bit unnerved. “Castiel, be nice.” He warned, and the angel instantly tore his eyes away from Dean and back to Benny. “Dean is new here. He wanted to say hello.”

Castiel did not look amused, and giant feathers twitched in irritation as he carefully folded his wings back in. Without them splayed out in aggression, he was a bit less intimidating, but only just. Benny motioned for Dean to come stand next to him, keeping his eyes on Castiel.

“Hey Castiel.” Dean started nervously; shifting his weight from foot to foot subconsciously as he tried, and failed, to maintain eye contact with the angel. Regardless of his obvious discomfort however, Castiel refused to take his searing gaze off of him.

“Don't worry brother, you're safe.” Benny laughed, obviously noticing Dean's anxious fidgeting. “See those?” He motioned towards the thick collar around Castiel's neck and the matching ones on his wrists. “Power limiters. They don't work perfectly, but they at least keep him from breaking out of the cage.”

Castiel narrowed his eyes at Benny's words, clenching his fists tightly in what Dean assumed was rage. Despite the alpha's aggressive and intimidating behavior, however, Dean couldn't help but be in awe of him. His messy black hair matched his wings almost perfectly, and there was something feral about the way moved and acted.

“Well, Castiel, you better get used to Dean. You're gonna be seeing a lot of him.” Benny said in a matter-o-fact voice, earning Dean another glare from the alpha.

“Why do you have him in isolation?” Dean questioned, flinching slightly from Castiel's venomous glare. The alpha seemed to be doing everything possible to let Dean and Benny know that their presence was not welcome.

“Too dangerous.” Benny sighed, shaking his head and looking away as though trying to push something out of his mind. “There was... an accident not too long ago with one of the handlers. If he had been any other angel they would have euthanized him.”

“But because he's an alpha, they decided to just lock him up instead.” Dean replied. His excitement at being given the opportunity to study such a rare and mysterious angel was tempered somewhat by the sobering knowledge of just how _dangerous_ the alpha really was. This close, even the thick iron bars and the power limiters almost didn't seem like enough of a barrier. His instincts told him to back away, but his curiosity urged him to take another step forward.

“None of our behavioral specialists have been able to make any progress with him.” Benny lamented. “Truth be told, I'm not sure how much longer- well, never mind.” Benny suddenly looked very uncomfortable, and Dean wanted to ask what he was about to say. Before he got a chance to though, the man forced another smile onto his face and ushered Dean back towards the main building.

“I think that's probably enough for today. You know your schedule?”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded, looking behind him at the motionless angel. Castiel continued to stare at him as they walked. He finally turned back to Benny and pulled out a small packet. He flipped through a couple of pages before finding the spot he wanted. “Um... Wednesday through Friday after school, so one-thirty to six. Saturday and Sunday six to four.”

“They're sure putting you to work.” Benny whistled, climbing back into the jeep and waiting for Dean to follow. “Did Gordon give you your badge yet?”

Dean reached down into his shirt and pulled the lanyard out, then held it up for Benny's inspection. The latter nodded his head in approval and put the jeep into drive, pulling back out onto the dirt path. “I don't think he likes me.”

Benny's just shook his head; laughing and giving Dean a sympathetic look. “Don't worry about it, brother. Gordon doesn't really _like_ anyone. He's reliable though, and that's what matters.”

“I guess so.” Dean mumbled, still unsure about the brusque and intimidating guard. “Are you going to be supervising me?”

“'Fraid not.” Benny frowned, giving Dean a mournful look before turning his gaze back to the road. “I'm not a scientist. They'll probably have one of the behavioral experts do that. Don't worry, they're all pretty friendly. 'Cept Alastair.”

“Alastair?” Dean questioned, curiosity flaring.

“Well- nah don't listen to me.” Benny shook his head, face suddenly becoming uncharacteristically neutral. “He's a professional, just like everyone else here.”

Dean wanted to ask Benny more about this _Alastair_ , but he could tell from the man's expression that the conversation was effectively over. He could only speculate on what could have caused Benny, who hadn't had a bad word to say about anyone, to single out that particular name.

Benny remained quiet the rest of the ride, and Dean could tell that he was regretting his earlier words. Maybe he was hoping that Dean would forget; or maybe he was trying to make sure he remembered. Either way, as he waved goodbye to Benny and Gordon (the guard just ignored him), his apprehension was quickly replaced by overwhelming excitement. Tomorrow was going to be his first official day. He would finally have the chance to study wild born angels, and Alastair was the furthest thing from his mind.

When Dean finally unlocked the door to his twelfth floor apartment, he was so exhausted that he was tempted to collapse into bed with his clothes still on. Tomorrow was Saturday though, which meant he had to be at work at six in the morning. A shower was a necessity.

He quickly plugged his cell phone into the charger. It had died while he was getting his tour. Six new text messages popped up on the screen, and he groaned as he flipped through them.

**Good luck Dean :)**

****Dean? Are you still at work?** **

******Jess and I were thinking about stopping by later. You up for it?** ** **

******Your phone died again didn't it** ** **

******Call me when you get these Dean** ** **

******If you don't answer this I'm coming over there** ** **

Dean immediately scrolled down to Sam's number and pressed call, laying back on his tiny bed and staring at the ceiling. The phone barely rang once before Sam's worried voice came on. 

“Dean! What the hell man? I've been calling you for hours.” 

“Sorry Sammy.” He yawned, closing his eyes. 

“Did you want me to come over? Talk about your big day?” 

“Nah, that's fine.” He responded, rolling onto his side so he could stare at the window. The city was bright and vibrant like always. He hoped it wouldn't be too noisy while he was trying to sleep. “I go in at six tomorrow. Gonna head to bed early.” 

“Six?!” Sam sounded shocked, and Dean chuckled. 

“That's right.” 

“Well... I better let you go then.” 

“Take care, Sam.” Dean said, earnest now. 

“I will. You want to grab dinner with Jess and I tomorrow night? I want to hear all about your new job.” 

“Not a job yet, just an internship.” 

“Well, that's the first step. Goodnight Dean. Remember, tomorrow night.” 

“'Night Sam.” He replied, ending the call and then forcing himself up into a sitting position. Tomorrow was going to be his first official day. Today had been amazing, but it was just a tour. He couldn't wait to get a chance to meet more of the angels; and he definitely couldn't wait to get another chance at observing Castiel. Hopefully he would actually be able to take notes this time. 

He continued to think about the alpha while he showered and put his pajamas on. He wondered if the angel was always so hostile, or if it was just because he was upset about being in isolation. Dean couldn't help but sympathize with him over that. Angels were such social creatures, keeping one away from the rest of its tribe, no matter how dangerous it might be, just seemed cruel. He sighed as he settled down onto his pillow, falling into a fitful sleep. His dreams that night consisted of glossy black feathers and piercing blue eyes. 


	2. Learning

When Dean arrived at the facility in the morning, he was in such a hurry he almost forgot to check in with Gordon. The guard did not seem amused by this, and made sure to take an extra amount of time scanning him through. Dean did his best not to fidget, but he had slept in and was already nearly twenty minutes late. Finally Gordon handed him his badge back and he darted towards the main building.

Dean tried for nearly a minute to open the doors of the building in vain before he finally remembered he had to scan his card. When he got in, he was dismayed to find it completely empty. Not even Becky was at her desk. He wondered if she normally even came in this early. Knowing his luck they had probably decided that he was too unreliable and now they were going to fire him. What was he supposed to do? He didn't have the keys to the jeep to drive to the breeding facility. It was only a couple of minutes, was it close enough to walk? Should he wait for his supervisor?

“Dean?”

He almost wanted to cry in relief at the familiar voice behind him. Charlie was holding a cinnamon bun and a Starbucks frappucino and staring at him in confusion and mild amusement. He ran a hand through his hair self consciously, trying to tame his unruly bedhead. He probably made quite the sight, pacing around the lobby in the throws of panic. To her credit, Charlie didn't comment on his humiliating episode.

“...Are you my supervisor?” He asked, a bit of hope creeping into his voice. He knew that Charlie assisted in the medical clinic, but it was possible she was also a behavior specialist. Her disbelieving laugh immediately shot that hope down though.

“Nah, I know who is though.” She began walking once more and motioned for Dean to follow her out the back. “Feel like driving? I want to finish my breakfast.”

Dean barely caught the keys as she tossed them haphazardly at him, but he eagerly nodded and climbed into the driver's seat as Charlie settled in on the passenger's side and took a big bite out of her roll. He pulled onto the dirt road carefully, getting used to the way that the vehicle handled. It was a lot different than driving the Impala.

“So, how is Inias doing?” He finally asked when they had settled into a comfortable silence. He had been wondering about the friendly angel since he left the medical clinic yesterday. He hoped that he was on the road to a full recovery. Charlie took a large gulp of her drink and wiped her mouth on her sleeve before answering.

“Better. It isn't safe for him with Ion right now, so we've had no choice but to put him in solitary until Hester's pregnancy is over.” Dean was shocked by the news, and from the sounds of it Charlie wasn't too pleased either. Locking Castiel away alone was one thing. He was violent and dangerous to human handlers. Inias hadn't done anything wrong though, and if his attitude from yesterday was any indication he wasn't a threat to anyone.

“How far along is she?” Dean asked, mentally tying to calculate how long Inias would have to be in alone.

“About five and half months.” Charlie replied after thinking for a moment. Dean let out a sigh of relief he wasn't even aware he had been holding.

“So only a couple of weeks? Still... that doesn't really seem fair.”

“I know, it sucks.” Charlie said, puffing her bottom lip out in a pout. “I guess we will be able to keep a closer eye on his wing this way though.”

“Small consolation...” Dean muttered, parking the jeep in front of the facility. Charlie shrugged as she hopped out, motioning for Dean to follow her.

“So, I heard you met Castiel.”

Dean stopped at Charlie's words, surprised. Charlie turned to him and smiled a bit before continuing to walk down the hallway. After a moment, he followed her.

“Yeah?”

“Well, what did you think?” She continued nonchalantly, but Dean could tell she was fishing for something. He was confused as to what it could be though, so he decided to just answer her truthfully.

“Honestly? A little scary.”

"Fascinating though, right?" She probed, looking at him expectantly. Dean grinned and nodded immediately.

"Fascinating."

Charlie nodded in approval as she led him down down the long hallway. They passed the door to the medical facility, and he frowned in slight confusion. Charlie seemed to know where she was going though, so he kept following her.

“Um, Charlie?” He finally asked as she stopped outside of an unmarked door.

“I figured I could introduce you to the people you are going to be working with.” She replied, pulling at the door. Dean noted that it was one of the few he had seen that hadn't been locked. She held the door open as he entered and looked around.

It was a tiny room compared to the others he had seen. A long table was situated in the middle with several metal folding chairs set up around it. A small counter held a coffee pot and a microwave, and a mini fridge was tucked into the corner. The people seated at the table were drinking out of paper cups and chatting, not even looking up as Charlie and Dean entered. Dean was relieved to see that Benny was among the group of faces.

“Everyone, this is Dean.” Charlie announced, slapping him on the back hard enough to make him stumble forward slightly. The table laughed warmly as he stepped forward and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, hoping that Charlie would at least tell him everyone's name. “Dean, this is... everyone. Well, everyone that matters anyways. That's Chuck,” She began, pointing to a fidgety looking man with a kind but nervous smile, “He's going to be the one supervising your sessions.”

“Hey,” Dean said. Chuck gave a twitchy nod and pulled his hands out of his pockets to give him a shy wave. Dean decided that he liked Chuck.

“You already met Benny,” Charlie continued, motioning towards the brunette on his right. Her face flushed slightly and Dean didn't miss the catch in her voice as she introduced the transportation manager Gilda. Ellen and her daughter Jo were next, both trappers like Bela. She introduced Ash as the security and surveillance expert, and finally ended with a squirrely looking handler named Garth.

“So Dean, that's everyone. Well, all the cool kids anyways.” She teased, and the people seated around the table all smiled at him in welcome.

“Grab some coffee and sit down kid, you're making me nervous.” Benny chuckled as he motioned to an empty chair between him and Chuck. Dean finished pouring his coffee and took his seat next to the fidgety man from before, holding out a hand that the latter shook weakly before returning to his fidgeting.

“So, Chuck. I guess we're working together?” Dean began, hoping to break the ice with a bit of a conversation.

“For now.” He nodded, briefly looking up at Dean. “They'll probably assign you to everyone at least once. We all have different specialties after all.”

Dean nodded. It made sense. “So what's your specialty?”

“Chuck is a breeding supervisor.” Jo cut in before Chuck had a chance to respond, a bit of a grin teasing the corners of her mouth. Chuck mumbled something harsh under his breath as he glared at her, then turned back to Dean.

“I... study the behavior of the pregnant angels.” He said in response to Dean's question.

Dean nodded in interest as he took another sip of his coffee. “Does that mean we're going to be working with Hester today?”

Chuck seemed surprised at Dean's words, but he nodded rapidly and when he began to speak again, much of the nervousness was gone.

“That's right! She's so close to her laying day and her nest is almost done. It is fascinating, Dean, one of the most complex ones I've seen.” Chuck was obviously incredibly invested in this particular pregnancy, if the way his voice quickened in excitement was anything to go by. Dean wasn't going to lie; he was curious too. He had never seen an actual nest in the process of being built. Angels just didn't breed often in high stress situations like captivity.

Chuck glanced up at the clock above the doorway and whistled in surprise, standing up and tossing his empty cup at the trashcan. He missed. Jo sniggered as his shoulders dropped and he went to pick it up and place it in the bin.

Dean followed Chuck out of the small break room, curiosity getting the better of him as the other man led him down the long hallway and outside into the breeding area. It was still early, and the morning mist made the cages before them fuzzy and hard to make out. He sipped idly at his now lukewarm coffee as Chuck stopped in front of one of the enclosures and grabbed the clipboard hanging off the side. 

Dean looked around the area as Chuck flipped through papers and jotted something down. His gaze lingered especially long on the path he had followed Benny down yesterday; the one that led to Castiel. He would have to ask Chuck about him later. Speaking of Chuck, the man was now waving a hand awkwardly trying to draw Dean's attention back towards him. 

“Come on kid, I know it's early but try to stay focused.” He teased, then motioned for Dean to join him next to the enclosure. Dean's face reddened slightly from embarrassment as he complied. 

“Alright. So when we go in there-”

“What?” Dean couldn't help but interrupt, earning him a sigh from Chuck. “Sorry, but I mean... We're actually going to go in there? No fences between her and us?” 

Chuck raised an eyebrow at him as he snapped on a pair of latex gloves. “Is that a problem?” 

“No!” Dean quickly added. He didn't want Chuck to think he was complaining. “I've just never... I didn't realize I would be having direct interaction that quickly.” Even in his graduate program he was never allowed near an unrestrained angel. They were just too unpredictable for anyone not experienced in reading them. As for pregnant angels? They could be just as territorial as the alphas, especially when they were nearing their laying day. Even if Hester was comfortable around Chuck, she had never even _met_ Dean. 

Chuck seemed to get what he was implying and simply shook his head, then punched a few buttons on the lock box and scanned his card. The lock popped to the side and the door swung out slightly to allow them passage. Chuck quickly darted in and motioned for Dean to follow him. Dean hesitated momentarily, but eventually entered the small enclosure and Chuck latched the door securely behind him. 

The enclosure wasn't large by a long shot, but Hester was nowhere in sight. Dean glanced over at the small pool of water nestled by a grove of trees, then back to the edges of the enclosure. No angel. He looked over at Chuck, puzzled. He opened his mouth to voice his confusion, but the other man lifted a finger to his mouth to shush him and pointed up. 

Dean slowly lifted his eyes up the trunk of the largest tree in the enclosure. The mist made it difficult to see, but he could just make out what appeared to be the tip of a large feathery wing draped over one of the branches.

“Hester.” Chuck whispered softly, and if Dean didn't know about how acute an angel's hearing was, he would swear she wouldn't be able to hear him. He could hear a soft scuffling coming from above them, then a blonde head wearily began to lift over the edge of what appeared to be a giant nest made of leaves, twigs and other things that Dean couldn't identify right now.

Unfortunately for Dean, he was the first one she saw. Previously sad and tired eyes immediately filled with aggression and a hint of panic. She snarled defensively, standing up and stretching her tawny colored wings wide in what Dean knew was an attempt to make herself look bigger. He looked over at Chuck as panic began to rise in his chest. He knew this wasn't a good idea! 

Chuck, for his part, seemed to be taking all of this in stride. He walked closer to the base of the tree and whistled softly to draw Hester's gaze reluctantly away from Dean. When her eyes landed on the smaller man, they softened instantly. Her wings dropped slightly as well, and Dean felt himself let out a breath he wasn't even aware he was holding. She must really have really liked Chuck if his mere presence was enough to calm her. 

“Good morning, Hester.” He greeted pleasantly, and the angel gave him a small smile. “This is Dean,” He motioned towards him, “he's going to give me a little help with your checkup. Okay?”

Hester didn't look too pleased at Chuck's words, but she nodded reluctantly and lowered her wings back into their default position. Chuck's smile widened even more and he patted Dean on the back encouragingly. “Hey Chuck?” Dean questioned as he watched him dip a small vial into the stream for a water sample. He didn't get a response, so he continued. “I thought Hester wasn't being put in solitary? Missouri said it would be too stressful.” 

“Oh, she isn't.” Chuck immediately replied while he jotted something down on the clipboard. “It isn't safe for us to do in depth examinations in the clan's actual territory. Especially considering how aggressive her mate is.” 

“Ion.” Dean supplied, remembering his conversation with Charlie and Missouri yesterday. Chuck nodded again, obviously pleased with the background information that Dean already had. 

“He's always been extremely protective of her, but now that she is expecting? We wouldn't be able to get anything done if we tried to do it there.” 

“So how did you get her out?” He continued, puzzled. If they couldn't get close enough to her to examine, how did they remove her from one area and bring her to another? 

“Handlers.” He muttered, and his face darkened momentarily. “They're trained and equipped to deal with the aggressive angels.”

Dean wanted to ask more questions, but thought better of it and merely observed as Chuck once again approached the base of the tree that Hester was currently resting in. He whistled softly again, and once more her head peeked out from where she was hidden behind the thick branches. Her eyes darted nervously to Dean once more, then back to Chuck. Chuck motioned for her to come down, and Dean was surprised to see her actually comply. 

Her descent was surprisingly graceful considering her condition, and Dean couldn't help but stare as she jumped lightly from branch to branch until she was close enough to the ground to glide the rest of the way. She made sure to keep a good distance from Dean, landing on the opposite side of Chuck. Her fear may have been gone, but she was still wary. 

“May I?” Chuck asked her, and after a moment she nodded. Dean could only stare in shock as she slid the small wrap covering her body off and let it drop to the ground. Chuck didn't seem bothered in the least by the sudden nudity, and Dean knew that his sudden embarrassment was unwarranted. She was an angel, not a human. This didn't have to be weird. He forced himself not to look away as Chuck crouched down in front of her and gently put his hands on the large swell of her abdomen. 

“Dean!” Chuck called, and Dean gulped and walked hesitantly towards him. Hester watched him closely, but she made no move to leave. Chuck whispered something to her and ran his hands down her sides comfortingly as the angel closed her eyes and sighed in contentment. Dean was impressed. Despite his awkwardness, he seemed to be do exceptionally well with angels. 

When it appeared she was completely relaxed, Chuck helped guide her into a sitting position against the base of the tree she had just descended. Dean stood awkwardly, still not sure if he should stare or not. Apart from the wings, there was really nothing about her body that would distinguish her from a regular human female. He knew from books that angels were almost completely the same anatomically, but seeing it first hand was something else entirely. It was uncomfortable almost, to put something so _human_ into a cage. 

“Alright Hester.” Chuck crouched down in front of her and held out a thermometer. She opened her mouth obediently and he placed it gently under her tongue. “How have you been feeling?” 

She waited until Chuck pulled the thermometer back out after a minute or so before responding. “Hurts.” She managed to say, and Dean noticed that her English was much more understandable than Inias'. 

“Where does it hurt?” Chuck asked, concern etched on his features. She leaned forward slightly and reached her hand around to her back, rubbing lightly at the base. 

“Hurts.” She repeated. 

“Ah... Your back hurts?” Chuck questioned and Hester nodded as though she suddenly remembered the word. 

“Yes. Back. Back hurts.” Chuck nodded in sympathy and gave her a small pat on the shoulder. Dean could only stare in amazement. It was astonishing how docile she was around Chuck, especially considering she was born in the wild. He shuffled his feet awkwardly as he watched the other man work, not wanting to get in the way. Eventually Chuck motioned him closer. 

“Hester, Dean is going to help me today. Is that okay?” The angel looked nervous once more, but the soothing motion of Chuck running his hand up and down her arm seemed to placate her. She nodded hesitantly, her pale blue eyes settling on Dean. He gulped as he approached, eventually crouching down next to Chuck. The smaller man passed the clipboard and a pen to him. “Okay Dean, I need you to write down everything I tell you.” 

Dean nodded and readied the pen as Chuck turned back to Hester. “Temperature normal range.” Dean scribbled quickly as Chuck put his hands on her abdomen once more and pressed slightly. “Eggs in correct position.” He motioned for Hester to lean forward slightly, and reached an arm around to press against her low back when she did. “Moderate pain in lower lumbar.” 

Chuck continued to ramble on while Dean scrambled to make sure that he could write it all down. Hester seemed to tolerate Chuck's prodding with saintly patience though, her eyes drooping a bit in meditation while he continued to examine her. He stood back up eventually, and reached a hand down to help pull the angel to her feet. “I'll get you something for your back. I promise.” 

Hester smiled at him and nodded, then turned to Dean and gave him a small smile as well. Dean was too stunned to move, and before he had a chance to return it she had darted back up into the tree. Chuck snapped his gloves off and shoved them in his pocket, then motioned for Dean to follow him back out of the cage. 

The rest of the day went by without much excitement. Chuck gave Dean a tour of some of the areas Benny hadn't been able to cover previously and then released him for lunch. He ran into Benny again in the break room, and the latter gave him half of his sandwich after he finished teasing Dean for forgetting to bring a lunch of his own. 

Charlie joined them eventually, and rambled to Dean about how hard Missouri was making her work while she poked sullenly at her soggy bagel. Dean could only laugh as he imagined the older women. He was almost glad that he wasn't working in the medical facility. Missouri definitely wasn't someone he would want to cross.

She was halfway through telling Dean about the new game she got for her PS3 (something about teleporting guns and lying cake) when the door swung open and someone Dean didn't recognize walked slowly in. 

Charlie immediately shut her mouth and looked down, poking at her bagel awkwardly. Benny didn't look away, but his jaw twitched slightly and he crossed his arms somewhat defensively at the newcomer. Dean shivered slightly as the once warm and friendly atmosphere turned cold and tense. 

“Well well... What do we have here?” The man asked in a singsong voice, striding towards the coffee machine and filling his black mug. “New blood, and no one told me?” 

“This is Dean.” Benny said flatly, not taking his eyes off the lanky man. “Dean, Alastair.” 

Dean gulped at the name. He remembered the conversation from yesterday and he was suddenly filled with mild apprehension. Something about the man just felt... off. He couldn't tell exactly what it was though, and he hated judging someone before he even got to know them, so he responded with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. “Nice to meet you.” 

Alastair didn't respond to Dean's greeting, but he settled his eyes on him and looked him up and down slowly. Dean shivered. The man just smiled as he stirred his coffee, still examining Dean as though her were a particularly fascinating specimen. After several moments of impossibly tense silence, Alastair finally spoke. 

“Well, Dean. If you need someone to show you the ropes...” His voice was breathy and nasally and _wrong_. Dean felt himself tense involuntarily, and he hoped that Alastair didn't notice. No such luck. The slithery man just grinned gleefully and ran his spidery finger along the rim of his mug. “I am _more_ than willing to... show you around.”

“I think we've got that handled.” Charlie finally spoke up, scooting her chair a bit closer to Dean's. “Don't you have some mad scientist stuff to get back to?” 

Alastair ignored her, his eerie gaze still focused on Dean. He smiled once more, impossibly wide, and left as quietly as he had entered. 

“Creep...” Charlie muttered, shuddering slightly as she returned to her bagel. Benny sighed and shook his head.

“Sorry about that, brother. Alastair is a bit...” 

“Scary?” Charlie supplied helpfully, speaking around the bread in her mouth. Dean couldn't help but laugh. The mood had lightened considerably since he left. Even Benny had to crack a grin. 

“So, Dean. What are you going to do now?” Benny finally asked as he leaned back in his chair. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, you still have a few hours. Chuck doesn't seem to need you right now. Want to ride around in the jeep with me?” He offered, and Charlie immediately pounded her fist on the table. 

“No way he's going with you! Dean, you _have_ to come with me to the clinic. Missouri likes you, if you're there she won't be so hard on me.” Charlie practically begged. 

“Actually, I wanted to get another look at Castiel.” Dean replied apologetically. Charlie looked surprised for a moment, but soon nodded in understanding. 

“Ah, the famous alpha. He's really something, isn't he?” 

“I was hoping I might be able to get him to talk to me.” Dean admitted, and Charlie just shook her head. 

“Good luck with that. He hasn't talked to anyone in ages.” 

“Well, maybe I'll be different.” Dean said as he rose to his feet. Charlie just rolled her eyes and popped the rest of the bagel into her mouth before chasing it down with the last dregs of her lukewarm coffee. Benny seemed amused by their exchange, but his eyes became serious when he spoke. 

“Just remember what I told you yesterday. Don't get too close to the bars.” He warned, voice uncharacteristically serious. “You want me to come with you?” 

“Nah,” Dean shook his head as he shrugged his jacket back on and tossed his sandwich wrapper. “I'll be fine. Good luck with Missouri, Charlie. It sounds like you're going to need it.” 

Dean made his way slowly through the breeding pens, trying to remember the direction Benny had taken him previously. After a few minutes of looking around, he finally managed to find the right path. As he got closer to Castiel, he felt his heart begin to quicken with excitement. He wondered if the angel would be as aggressive as he was yesterday. 

He expected Castiel to be in the trees and out of sight, so it was somewhat surprising when he approached the enclosure and immediately spotted the alpha. He was crouched by the small river, his massive wings folded casually against his back as he reached down to scoop up a handful of water. 

Dean knew he should do or say something to announce his presence, but he was awestruck by his close proximity to the angel. His body was not rigid with the aggressive tension like yesterday. If didn't didn't have firsthand experience proving otherwise, he would say he almost looked docile. 

Dean continued to stare at Castiel in awe as the alpha stood up slowly and lifted his arms over his head, stretching them up as his wings flared out. The sunlight hit the glossy black feathers perfectly, and they shimmered blue for a moment. “...Wow.” 

Castiel immediately spun around upon hearing Dean's quiet exclamation, all of the peaceful serenity snapping out of him to be replaced with quivering anger. He flared his wings out once more, this time definitely not to stretch them. Dean took a few steps back as the alpha approached the perimeter of his enclosure, putting his hands up to try and placate him. “Wow, easy. I just got here!” 

The alpha didn't seem to be appeased by Dean's insistent gestures in the least, and he eyed him suspiciously. Dean gulped heavily as he shifted his weight back and forth, nervous energy flowing through him. The alpha continued to stare him down. This time, instead of looking away, Dean did everything in his power to maintain eye contact. 

Several minutes passed before either of them moved. Dean didn't want to look away, but he figured out pretty quickly that Castiel wasn't about to stand down in their weird staring match. He knew it was probably a bad idea to give up, dominance displays and such, but he couldn't bare the piercing look the alpha was giving him. Those blue eyes saw too much. It was like his very soul was being put on display. He felt a strange ache somewhere deep in his chest that only faded when he reluctantly lowered his eyes to the ground. 

Castiel seemed strangely satisfied by his victory, and Dean was shocked to see him go back to the stream like the entire encounter never happened. He watched dumbly as the angel bent over the water once more and scooped a handful up to splash on his face. It was as though he was now completely oblivious to Dean's presence. 

Dean sat down with his legs crossed by the outer guard rail. Despite his proximity, the angel still seemed intent on ignoring him. He pulled his pack closer and fished out a notepad and pencil, determined to get as many observations from this experience as possible. 

After several more minutes, Castiel dipped his giant wings into the water and shook the droplets through the glossy feathers. Dean continued to watch in fascination as the magnificent creature before him bathed himself and his beautiful wings in the afternoon sunlight. Notebook forgotten, he continued to watch Castiel with wonder. 

He yelped loudly when his phone vibrated against his leg. Castiel started at the noise, and shot him a dirty look before going back to his ministrations. Dean felt his face flush with embarrassment at the decidedly unmanly noise that had come out of his mouth. Looking down, he realized it was a text from Sam. 

**Hey jerk. Don't forget about dinner.**

He smiled slightly as he responded. He couldn't wait to see Sam. He had a lot to tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> There is something I should probably go over. This fic is rated Explicit, which means that yes there will be explicit sexual content later on. However, it is also slow burn. Basically, that means that Dean and Cas will not just jump each other's bones immediately. It will take time for their relationship to develop to that point. 
> 
> Once again, THANK YOU for reading this fic. Comments and kudos are much appreciated if you enjoyed the fic and you have the time to leave them. <3


	3. Understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The update is finally here! Sorry to everyone for how long it took! I hope you continue to enjoy this story. :)

Dean met Sam and Jess at some fancy italian restaurant that was _definitely_ not Dean's style. Sam gave him a dirty look and Jess giggled when he asked the waiter if they served burgers. He finally settled on the lasagna (after the waiter politely informed him that he was at an authentic Italian restaurant, not a McDonald's) and began eating the complimentary breadsticks with impressive voracity. Sam and Jess kept sending each other furitive little glances that definitely didn't escape Dean's notice. 

Eventually, when they were about halfway through dinner, Sam cleared his throat awkwardly and looked to Jess for reassurance. She fumbled a bit with her napkin before giving him a shy nod. 

"Dean... Um, there's something that Jess and I need to tell you." Sam began, and the fact that his normally confident brother looked so nervous made him momentarily panic. 

"You're not dropping out of law school, right?" Dean asked tensely. Sam laughed heartily and Dean felt the tension in his chest ease up a bit. 

"Dean- no! Of course not. Jess... Jess and I." He took her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. She smiled and nodded at him. "I asked her to marry me." 

Dean stared blankly at the two of them, trying to process this new information. Jess lifted her left hand and shoved it towards Dean, showing off a pretty gold ring with an impressive diamond nestled on the top. "I said yes!" 

Dean was still at a loss for words, and Sam began to look a bit nervous as his smile faltered. "...Dean? Are you okay?" 

"I'm invited, right?" He grinned, the news finally sinking in. Sam breathed a sigh of relief and Jess reached across the table to envelop him in a tight hug.

"Mom and Dad would be so proud of you, Sammy." Dean finally said when they had all settled back into their seats. 

"I know." Sam replied warmly. "I hope you are, too.

+++

As much as he wanted to, Dean didn't get a chance to visit Castiel again for several days. Chuck had him running errands like mad while preparations were being made for Hester's laying day, and when he wasn't busy with that he was helping Charlie with the new angel. 

Anna, known as Anael in her clan, had presented quite a dillema for Charlie and Missouri. Unlike most of the angels, she refused to even attempt to communicate with her captors. One of her wings had been badly damaged in her capture, and although Missouri set it and wrapped it, she couldn't help but shake her head in a way that made Dean sure that the redheaded angel was probably never going to be able to use it again.

Charlie seemed especially upset at the condition that Anna had been brought to them. Although the worst injury was by far her limp and mangled crimson wing, she had suffered many cuts and bruises as well. Dean had never actually seen how angels were trapped in the wild, he just knew that all trappers had their tricks. Whoever had caught Anna obviously had no moral qualms about resorting to brutality.

Charlie and Missouri did their best, but Anna's condition continued to degrade. She refused all food and water, and eventually they had to resort to giving her sustenance through an IV. 

"What are they even planning on doing with her?" Dean asked Charlie during their break, although he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. Charlie was silent for several moments as she poured herself another cup of coffee. When she finally flopped into the chair next to Dean, he could see clearly just how tired she was. 

"If she improves? Try to find her a suitable mate for the breeding program. Missouri doesn't think her wing is going to get any better, so breeding is about all that they can use her for." 

Dean scoffed and looked down, frustration clenching tightly in his chest. "She obviously isn't going to cooperate. I mean look at her, she would rather starve herself to death than even try to talk to us. Why not just let her go?" 

"I wish we could." Charlie replied sympathetically. "With only one working wing though? She wouldn't last long in the wild. Even with the support of her clan, it would probably be a death sentence." 

"... What happens if she doesn't improve then?" Dean asked, but deep down he already knew the answer. Charlie couldn't even meet his eye as she responded. 

"It would be inhumane to allow her to continue suffering." 

Dean felt a bit of anger rise in him at Charlie's words, but he had to admit that she was right. Euthanasia was, unfortunately, sometimes considered the only ethical option. "I hope she gets better." 

"Me too." Charlie replied immediately, a fierce determination in her eyes. "I'm not going to give up on her yet. There's still a lot we can try." 

Dean nodded in relief. He had confidence that Charlie and Missouri would do everything in their power to help Anna. The redhead stood up and looked down at her watch, sighing as she tossed her cup into the bin. "I've got to get back now. Come see me later though, okay?" 

"I will." Dean nodded as she hurried out. He looked down at his watch, and smiled when he realized he still had quite a bit of time left for lunch. There was a certain blue-eyed angel he had been dying to see. 

+++

"Hey Cas." Dean sighed as he flopped down at his usual place near the guard rail. The angel furrowed his brow at the nickname, obviously slightly annoyed but not quite annoyed enough to move from his perfect sunning spot. Dean couldn't help but smile at Cas' eyeroll. It may have still been a cold reception on the part of the angel, but it was leaps and bounds better than his previous wing flaring and intimidation. At the very least he was beginning to tolerate Dean's presence. 

He leaned back against the rail and watched for a while in silence. Despite the alpha's initial annoyance over the little nickname that Dean had coined for him, he didn't seem to have a problem letting him observe. 

It was another sunny day, and the shimmer of Cas' wings in the light was simply breathtaking. The angel had spread them completely out over the small clearing of his enclosure, and Dean was surprised at their impressive length. They completely dwarfed those of other angels in both size and splendor. It was obvious Castiel took great pride in them and groomed them often. 

Dean's slight smile fell away when he noticed the bent feathers near his shoulders, where wing met flesh. Despite Cas' obvious efforts, he just didn't seem able to reach that area on his own. Grooming was a social activity among angels, and the fact he was all by himself meant that he wasn't able to partake in that. Dean felt a twinge of sympathy as he realized that no one was around to help the alpha. 

"Not feeling too chatty today?" Dean teased, fully aware that he was probably annoying the angel. True to form, Castiel shook his wings slightly in irritation but remained silent.

Dean wasn't phased by his lack of a response though. He yawned loudly and stretched his arms over his head, then leaned back against the railing. He couldn't help but smirk as he saw the alpha watching him out of the corner of his eye.

"So, Cas." He said again. This time the angel didn't bother huffing in irritation over the nickname, and Dean was a bit sad about that. It was nice being able to get some kind of reaction out of him instead of being perpetually ignored. "My brother is getting married. Can you believe that? I was halfway through a lasagna when he told me, and I damn near choked to death." 

Cas gave no indication that he had even heard Dean, let alone that he was anywhere close to caring. In fact, if Dean had to guess, he would say the expression on the alpha's face was more akin to _get the hell away from me you stupid human_ than anything else. Cas always looked kinda pissed off though, so it was hard to tell. Dean refused to be bothered by this though, and pulled a half-squished sandwich out of his backpack. He began unwrapping it as he continued. "I mean I'm happy for the kid, I really am... Jess is awesome."

He paused to take a bite out of his sad looking sandwich, watching with fascination as Cas lifted one of his massive wings to catch the underside with sunlight. Dean was rendered momentarily speechless, like he always was, by the sight of Cas' truly impressive plumage. The alpha didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed almost eager to show his wings off. Dean wondered sadly how long it had been since anyone, human or angel, had taken the time to admire their beauty. 

"Dude, how long have you been in here?" He asked, Sam and Jess' marriage temporarily forgotten. He wasn't really expecting a response, so he didn't let it bother him too much when Castiel ignored him yet again. 

"Probably a while, huh... Do they tell you anything about what is going on with the other angels in here? Benny told me some of them were from your clan." Dean didn't miss the way Castiel's head perked slightly at this, though the alpha seemed to realize it and immediately turned away. The once languid motion of his wings had turned stiff though, and Dean could read that body language a mile away. He was interested. 

Dean set his sandwich down and scooted a bit closer to the enclosure, hoping the angel would look at him again. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had finally found a way to connect with him. 

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know about them." He offered cautiously, eyes straining to see some kind of reaction from Cas. The alpha didn't give it to him, but he had already given himself away with the tensing of his wings. Hopefully this would help him warm up. 

"Don't worry, there's no catch." He lifted his hands in a placating gesture even though Cas wasn't facing him to see it. "I mean, if you talked to me it would go a bit faster. Narrow it down, ya know?" 

Still no response. Dean sighed and leaned his head against the guard rail. Obviously Cas wasn't ready to speak to him yet, but he couldn't really say he had expected it. It would probably take him a lot longer than this to gain the alpha's trust. 

"Hester's pregnant." Dean started conversationally. He wasn't sure if Hester had ever been part of Cas' clan, but if anything was big news it would have to be that. "Ion is her mate. He really layed into Inias about a week ago. Some kind of dominance thing."

He watched for any sign of reaction from Castiel. Nothing. "Um... He hurt his wing pretty badly." Dean continued, unphased. "The ended up putting him in solitary until the end of Hester's pregnancy. I know, I don't think it is fair either." He looked down at his feet and kicked against the second railing in frustration. "I mean, he wasn't even the one that started that fight. I met him, that guy was definitely not violent."

Dean leaned his head back against the pavement and pillowed his hands underneath as a cushion as he stared up at the sky. "And you know what else?" He asked, more to himself now than to Cas, "Some of the things around here seem kinda shady to me. The methods the trappers use, for example."

He paused momentarilly, hoping against reason that Cas would respond. He tried not to be too disappointed when he didn't, and continued on. "I mean, Bela just brought in a new angel. I don't know what she did to her, but it isn't good man. I can't believe how bad of shape she is in. Anael was her name I think? We're calling her Anna." 

Dean pushed himself back up into a sitting position, but nearly fell over again when he saw that Cas was no longer sunning himself. The alpha was crouched as close as possible to the cage bars, uncomfortably close to where Dean himself was sitting. He didn't think he was in reach, but he scooted back several inches just to be safe. Benny's warning about having limbs torn off was still fresh in his mind. He very much liked being in one piece. 

When he determined himself to be at an adequately safe distance he focused once more on the strange behavior of the angel in front of him. Well, Cas definitely wasn't ignoring him now. The alpha's eyes burned bright with intensity and it was all focused on Dean. If he were to be completely honest, it was the most unnerved he had ever felt.

"Do you know Anna?" Dean finally ventured when he regained some semblence of composure. The alpha's piercing gaze was making it difficult to focus. This close, his eyes were even bluer, almost unnaturally so. Castiel didn't say anything, but Dean could tell that he wanted to. 

"It's okay, I get it. Why would you want to talk to a human, right? After all, we're the ones that did this to you." Castiel seemed a bit taken aback by Dean's words, but he quickly schooled his surprised expression back into one of forced apathy. "I know you probably won't believe me, but just for the record? I really do care about helping the angels here. Even you, if you would let me." 

Castiel stared at Dean for several more moments, and this time the human held his gaze without flinching or looking away. The alpha slowly lowered his wings into a less threatening position and resumed his sunning position in the clearing. Dean sighed. He really thought he had been making progress with him too. 

"I'll try to get more information about Anna." He offered. He knew Castiel could hear him even though the alpha was completely ignoring his existance now. "Missouri and Charlie are taking care of her. I know thiswhole situation sucks Cas, but I swear she couldn't be in better hands right now."

Castiel continued to ignore Dean, and the latter felt his heart fall slightly. He really had thought he was starting to get through to him. Still, he wasn't going to give up that easily. It was obvious that almost everyone here had given up on the angel. He wouldn't be one of them.  


+++

"Charlie?" Dean opened the door to the medical facility slowly and peered in. Once again, the front desk was completely vacant, but he could hear soft scuffling coming from the back. After a moment or two, the redhead peered out. 

Her exhausted and frazzled expression instantly turned into one of joy as she saw Dean. "Hey!" She called, walking into the room and peeling off the pair of gloves she had been wearing. "I thought you went home early today?" 

"I just came from Castiel's enclosure." He admitted, and he saw Charlie's smile falter a bit. She shook her head sadly and plopped down on the couch nearest to where Dean was standing. 

"Any luck?" 

Dean sighed and shook his head. Charlie patted his arm sympathetically as she took a sip from her mug. "Don't beat yourself up Dean. He's been here for nearly two years, and he won't talk to anyone. You can't expect him to open up to you after only a week." 

"Charlie... Is Anna from Castiel's clan?" Dean finally asked. He had to know. 

Charlie nearly spit out her drink as she stared at Dean in shock. "How- wh- Who told you that? We only just found out a few-" 

"It was Cas." Dean quickly supplied, but this seemed to only confuse Charlie even further. 

"Cas?" She raised her eyebrows in a silent question. 

"It's just what I call him." Dean blushed. He knew it was a bit familiar considering the angel still refused to acknowledge his existance most of the time, but it felt so much less awkwardly formal than Castiel. 

"Wait, so he actually talked to you?" Charlie's eyes looked like they were about ready to bug out of her head. "We have to tell Missouri! This is _huge_ Dean! If he will actually talk to you, there is so much data we could-" 

"Shhh!" Dean hushed her, looking around nervously, and Charlie immediately went silent. "He didn't talk to me, okay?"

"Then how did you-"

"I was talking to him. Sometimes I like to just... tell him what's going on, ya know?" Dean shrugged like it was no big deal. Charlie just stared at him as though he had grown a second head. "He normally just ignores me, but I feel like he deserves to know what is happening. I mean, there are only a handful of clans left in the wild, I was sure that some of the angels here must have come from Cas'."

"So what exactly happened, Dean?" Charlie prodded, obviously eager to get to the point. 

"I was leaning against the guard rail, just eating a bit- it was my lunch break, okay?" Dean quickly added when he saw Charlie's raised eyebrows. "Anyways, I was telling Cas about Anna. When I actually looked back at him though, he was right up against the bars. I swear I was scared he was going to reach out and-"

"Dean! Didn't Benny tell you-"

"Not to get too close, I know." Dean mumbled. He knew he had let himself get a bit too careless. He hadn't forgotten what the alpha was capable of. "Anyways, he looked... Well, let's just say it is the most emotion I've seen out of him. Ever." 

"Hester and Inias are from Castiel's clan." Charlie replied, seemingly deep in thought. "I know there are others here as well. Many of them were captured at the same time as their alpha." 

"What do you think is happening to his clan now?" Dean questioned. He knew that the alpha was the natural leader in an angelic clan. He provided order and kept the peace between the clan members. He settled disputes and made sure that the clan was well provided for, as well as protecting them from other clans.

"Who knows?" Charlie shook her head sadly. "I doubt anything good. They're still hanging on, hence Anna, but from what Bela was sayin it is only by a thread. That's why trappers go into that territory more often now. Apparently it is much easier to capture angels that don't have an alpha's protection." 

"I'll bet." Dean muttered darkly. The whole thing felt _wrong_. He knew he was just an intern though. It wasn't like he could actually change anything. Charlie seemed to sense his frustration. 

"I know, Dean. I really hate it too." She sighed and looked down at the floor. "They trapped Castiel using... pretty unethical means, all in the name of how valuable it would be to the field to actually be able to study an alpha up-close. Of course, they didn't plan on him refusing to cooperate. Now he just sits in a cage all day while his clan suffers without him." 

"Let me guess, they can't let him go." Dean sighed with frustration. Charlie gave him an apologetic nod. 

"Even without him cooperating, the mere fact we have an alpha on the premise, the only one ever kept in captivity, means the company gets a ton of money in research grants. He's too valuable of an asset for the higher ups to ever consider that."

Dean and Charlie sat together in melancholy silence for a few minutes. The atmosphere was heavy from their conversation, and Dean thought bitterly about how at least he was seeing the true nature of the angelic research field in his internship. 

"Do you want to see Inias?" Charlie finally asked, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "Missouri has him in back right now."

Dean nodded and stood up with Charlie, a bit of excitement overcoming his previously bleak mood. He liked Inias. The soft-spoken and gentle angel was definitely one of his favorites. 

Charlie led him back into the exam room, knocking lightly on the door until Missouri called for her to enter. The older women looked over at Dean and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Don't you have somewhere else to be, boy? I don't want you getting in trouble for spending all your time here." 

"He's technically off for today." Charlie said helpfully as she approached Missouri and the angel that was sitting on the table. Inias gave Charlie a friendly smile, but when his eyes fell on Dean it turned much more bashful. 

"I guess some things never change." Charlie laughed at the embarrasment in Dean's face as Inias lowered his wings in a submissive posture and looked up at Dean coyly through his thick eyelashes. 

"Sorry buddy. I'm a human, not an angel." Dean gave Inias a comforting pat on the shoulder, careful to avoid touching his sensitive wings. Even without the injury, he didn't want to give Inias the wrong idea. The angel crooned softly and tried to arch his wing into Dean's touch, but the latter pulled away before he had the chance. 

"I should totally put this on youtube." Charlie was still laughing at the exchange between Dean and Inias, and Missouri immediately swatted her hand before she could reach into her pocket. "Hey! I was just kidding!" 

"So Dean, honey, how was your day?" Missouri asked as she began to run her gloved hands through the feathers of Inias' left wing. 

"Great, ma'am." He replied, pointedly trying to ignore the soft cooing Inias was using to try and draw his attention. 

"Dean's been hanging out with _Cas_ , haven't you?" Charlie teased. Missouri raised her eyebrows as she continued her work on Inias. 

"Cas? You mean Castiel, the alpha?" Dean nodded minutely, ready for a lecture about how it was a waste of time, or how he should be careful because the alpha was dangerous, or any number of the things he had already heard a million times. To his surprise and relief, Missouri didn't mention a single one. "Well good. It's about time someone gave that poor angel some attention. It ain't right to keep him locked up in a cage without anybody to talk to. He could use a friend." 

"I dunno about _friend_." Dean replied. "He pretty much just pretends I don't exist." 

"Have patience with him, boy." Missouri scolded lightly. "He's been through more than you could possibly imagine. ...Just keep at it." She continued, her voice a bit softer. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually." 

"I hope so." Dean replied as he watched Missouri begin to wrap a clean bandage around Inias' wing.

"You should get home, Dean." Charlie finally said after several comfortable minutes of silence. "We're going to be here for quite a while. Hester needs another checkup, and we need to take another look at Anna's wing. Don't you have class tomorrow too?" 

"Ugh, don't remind me." Dean groaned. "A stupid test." 

"Better get moving then." Charlie grinned. "But hey, you'll be here tomorrow, right?" 

Dean nodded as he picked his backpack up off the ground and slung it over his shoulder after giving Charlie a hug. "Yeah. Seeya Inias." Dean waved goodbye to the angel, and recieved a sad, mumbled 'bye' in response. "Missouri." He nodded at her and was a bit surprised when she pulled him into a quick hug before returning to her work. 

Dean couldn't help but smile as he drove back to his apartment. For the first time in his internship, he was really starting to feel at home in the facility. Sam was marrying the girl of his dreams, and there was no way he could get any more proud of his brother. And Castiel... The alpha may have still been ignoring him, but he just knew that if he persevered he would be able to get through to him. He might not be able to do much, but he could at least provide some company for the lonely angel. Laying in bed that night, he couldn't help but imagine that maybe Missouri was right. Maybe one day, he would even be able to call him friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! This one laid some pretty important groundwork, which means that more plotty stuff will start soon. Also, I know it seems like it is taking forever for Dean and Cas' relationship to develop, but it is important to me that it develops naturally and doesn't feel rushed, so I hope you all understand. :) Next update should be up soon! Thanks again for reading, I REALLY really appreciate it you guys! Comments are awesome if you have time <3


	4. Breaking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for dehumanizing treatment of angels

Dean had the next two days off, which was a relief because he was getting way behind on his schoolwork. His professors were a bit more forgiving because of his internship, but he knew better than to push it. He was so close to the finish line, he couldn’t afford to fumble now.  


Sam and Jess invited him to the zoo for the afternoon on Tuesday, and as much as he knew he should stay home and study, he couldn’t resist the chance for a break. It was a gorgeous day in the city, and being cooped up in his apartment was tantamount to torture. Besides, he hadn’t seen them since they announced their engagement.  


Jess was as cheerful as always as they walked through the zoo, but Dean immediately noticed that Sam was being much quieter than usual. He looked between his brother and his fiancé, wondering if he should ask about it in front of Jess or not. For all he knew, they had some kind of fight and Sam was still sore about it. No, talking about it alone was probably the best option. His Sasquatch of a brother wandered off to find a bathroom, and he knew this was his chance.

“Hey, Jess?” Dean winked at the blonde as they sat on the benches near the angel exhibit. The angel, a young brunette with small tawny wings, was sitting on a low hanging branch and looking at them with disinterest while she groomed her wings. “How are things going?”

“So Dean, is she like the ones you work with?” Jess asked as she stared at the angel with fascination, and if Dean didn’t know Jess better he would say she was pointedly ignoring his previous question. 

“Nah.” He replied, leaning back and kicking his feet up against the rail. “She was born in captivity. See her wings? They’re way smaller for one. Probably because she doesn’t use them nearly as much as a wild angel.” 

“I see…” Jess sighed and tilted her head to the side as she watched. The angel stopped grooming and stared back for a moment, then scampered across the thick branch gracefully and snatched a low-hanging fruit. “That’s kinda sad.” 

“Sad?” Dean asked as he watched the young angel with a smile. She looked content to him. She was obviously well groomed and well fed. 

“She’ll never get to experience what living in the wild is like. Don’t you think that is sad, Dean?” Jess was giving him a _look_ , and Dean sighed. 

“She’s way better off here. The wilds are a dangerous place for anyone, even angels.” He knew about the near constant wars waged between the angelic tribes, and how many casualties they incurred. That wasn’t even to mention the fighting that happened inside of the clans either, battles over dominance and mating rights happened all the time and injuries were common. At least, that is what all of his textbooks had said. “She doesn’t have to worry about anything.”

Jess still didn’t look convinced, and turned away from Dean to watch the angel some more. She had finished her fruit and had her arms raised as she let out a sleepy yawn. Another young female (her little sister, Dean realized after reading the sign) dropped down from a higher branch and began to shake her wings playfully. The older made a scoffing noise and shook her head in denial, then yawned again. The younger was having none of that though, and immediately pounced on her big sister friskily. Dean couldn’t help but laugh as the two tumbled off the branch and began rolling around in the soft grass below. 

“Is it just the two of them?” Jess murmured as she frowned at the sign. She still seemed unsettled. Dean’s grin fell away and he nodded. Jess seemed sad. “What about their parents?” 

“Angels don’t breed well in captivity.” He admitted. He knew that what he was about to reveal would probably horrify Jess. “The eggs normally have to be taken from nests in the wild.” 

Dean was right. Jess looked absolutely appalled. He couldn’t really blame her. That wasn’t exactly something they advertised when promoting the angel programs at zoos. “So they basically steal their children.” 

Dean winced at her phrasing. As much as he wanted to deny it, he really couldn’t. He may have been taught about it in much gentler terminology, but it was still the same idea. Jess still looked livid though, and Dean knew she wasn’t about to back down from this. “So are their parents still out there, mourning the loss of their children?” 

“No!” Dean supplied quickly, then winced. He knew that what he was about to say would probably just infuriate his future sister-in-law even more. Still, he knew Jess. She would pursue this. “They take the eggs from the nests of captured angels. Otherwise, they would die without care.”

He was right, Jess still looked absolutely pissed. He couldn’t really blame her. The entire situation _was_ pretty horrific. He wondered briefly if Castiel had any children he had been separated from. Maybe that was why the alpha seemed so desolate all of the time. Then again, did alpha angels even have children, or did they act as surrogate parents to all of the clan’s hatchlings? There just wasn’t enough data available to tell. The only alpha in captivity sure as hell wasn’t talking. 

“You guys okay?” Dean looked over and saw Sam approaching them with concern, his eyes trained on Jess’ rigid posture. Dean felt kind of bad for getting her riled up. She huffed and shook her head, pointing at the two angels now curled up together and sleeping at the base of the tree. 

“You’re going to be a lawyer soon, Sam. You should do something about this.”

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then turned to Dean and gave him a _what did you do_ look. Dean shrugged apologetically. “Anyone up for burgers?” 

Jess’ stern look broke momentarily into one of amused fondness. “You’re so predictable, you know that?” 

Dean kept thinking about the two angels at the zoo even after Sam and Jess dropped him off at his apartment after dinner. Logistically, he knew that their captivity was the most humane option. If they were simply left there after their parents were captured, they would almost surely die. In that case though, was it really fair to capture their parents in the first place? He repeated the pro-captivity arguments he had been taught in his head over and over as he showered and got ready for the next day working at the facility, but they were beginning to sound a bit hollow even to him. He wanted to ask Castiel about it. He needed to know if the alpha had children, and if so, what happened to them?

Thoughts of Castiel and his past were still racing through Dean’s mind as he pulled the covers over himself and tried to get some sleep. 

+++++++++

Dean was, unfortunately, late again. The traffic between the University and Crossroads Research inc. was terrible. He ended up pulling through the gate a full twenty minutes after he was supposed to already be inside and working. He wasn’t even sure Gordon would let him in now, but the guard just gave him a stern look and warned him not to let it happen again. He hoped that meant he was warming up to him. With Gordon, it was hard to tell. 

“Chuck?” He asked as he opened the break room door. This was where he normally met his mentor before they went to work. The shorter man was nowhere in sight though, and Dean frowned. 

“Ah, decide to grace us with your presence today after all?” Dean nearly jumped at the voice behind him. He hadn’t even _seen_ Alastair lurking in the corner of the room. His nasally voice was cold and derisive, and Dean had to suppress a shudder.

“Hey.” Dean forced a small smile, trying to be as friendly as possible. Sure the guy was creepy, but there was no way he would be able to work here if he was seriously bad news. “So uh… You see Chuck around anywhere?” 

Alistair’s eyebrows crinkled in distaste and he snorted with scorn. “Probably cavorting with that angel of his… He’s much too fond of her for his own good.” 

“Chuck has done great with Hester.” Dean snapped, suddenly feeling incredibly defensive of the small scientist that had been teaching him before. Alastair let out a small chuckle. 

“I’m sure he has, boy.” Alastair took a sip of his coffee and stared at him over the rim for _way_ longer than Dean was comfortable with. His smirk was practically predatory. Dean gulped and tried to find something to say. He was beginning to realize why Benny had warned him to stay away from this man. 

“Well… I’m going to go find him, then.” Dean tried to keep his voice as polite as possible, but he knew he wasn’t exactly successful. Alastair didn’t seem angry though, he just seemed even more amused. 

“Oh?” The scientist raised his eyebrows. “And why is that?” 

“I need to get to work. I’m already late.” Dean replied. Alastair nodded. 

“You’re right; you are late. I was about to give up on you and leave, too. Good thing I stuck around.” The scientist replied. Dean was beginning to get a bad feeling about this. If Chuck was gone, Alastair was here… that meant-

“You’re my mentor for today.” 

“Bingo. Give the boy a prize.” Alastair’s lips curled up into that serpent smile again as he looked Dean up and down. Well, he sure as hell wasn’t being subtle about anything. It was obvious he was checking him out, and the thought of doing anything like _that_ with this creep made Dean want to vomit. He considered walking out, just saying he refused to do it. He had worked so hard for this internship though, and there was so much at stake, he couldn’t risk that for anything. If it meant having to put up with an old pervert for a few days, he would just have to deal with it. 

After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence while Alastair finished his coffee, he motioned for Dean to follow him outside to the breeding pens. He frowned as they made their way past Hester’s cage, and most of the other occupied ones for that matter. He saw Jo and Ellen talking with one another at the edge of one of the enclosures, and he wanted to stop and say hello, but Alastair gave him a look that made him swallow nervously and fall back into step.  
It wasn’t until they were almost there that Dean realized where they were going. “Castiel?” 

Alastair stopped and looked over at him, frowning slightly. “You’ve been here?” 

Dean nodded hesitantly, suddenly unsure if he would be in trouble or not. No one had ever told him he couldn’t, but considering the alpha’s history, they were probably picky about who they let near him. Dean scanned the enclosure for the alpha as they approached, but Castiel was nowhere in sight.

“Oh Cassie!” Alastair called in a sing-song voice, and Dean shuddered. No wonder the alpha had made himself scarce. “Are you going to behave today, or are we going to have to do this the hard way?” 

“The hard way?” Dean frowned. As far as he knew, there was no way to _force_ an alpha angel into doing anything. Even if there was, it seemed rather foolish to create animosity that way. Alastair just smiled but didn’t elaborate. Dean saw a small flash of movement in the canopy, and within moments Castiel was on the ground and flaring his wings in anger at them. 

Dean stumbled back and nearly fell down the small set of stairs they had ascended. He had never seen the alpha look so aggressive. Even their first meeting hadn’t gone this way. Despite Dean’s embarrassing reaction, Alastair hadn’t moved an inch and seemed completely unaffected by the feral angel before him. Castiel’s wings were quivering now in what Dean instantly recognized as anger, and their posture was not just one of dominance like it had been with Dean, but of actual threat. It was clear that if the barrier between them was gone, the alpha would have no qualms about ripping Alastair apart. 

“Ah, good morning to you too, darling.” Alastair greeted, completely nonchalant about the whole situation. The alpha was absolutely fuming at this point, and Dean felt a sudden ache of sympathy for him. Castiel, an alpha angel, was one of the most powerful creatures on the earth. Now he was stuck in a cage and powerless to do anything about the taunting of a slimy guy like Alastair. Dean would be really pissed too. 

“Dean?” Alastair called, not turning his gaze away from his dominance battle with Castiel to look at him. “Get over here.”

Either Castiel didn’t notice he was there, or he had forgotten, because at the mention of Dean’s name the alpha tore his eyes away from Alastair and locked them on the student. Dean was afraid Castiel was going to fix him with the same angry glare he had given Alastair, but there was a flicker of something unexpected across the angel’s face (concern?) and his wings dropped minutely from their threatening posture. It only lasted for a moment before the angel’s ire was directed back at Alastair full force though, and Dean couldn’t help but wonder if he had imagined the strange display by the alpha. 

“Dean is going to be working with me today.” Alastair said with glee as he began to walk the perimeter of Castiel’s enclosure. The alpha matched him step for step, not once letting his threatening stance falter. Dean could only wonder what the scientist had done to earn such viciousness from the angel. He had never seen the alpha treat anyone else with such revulsion.

“Hey, maybe we should leave him alone for now.” Dean suggested hopefully. He wanted to get Alastair away from the angel as quickly as possible. He was doing nothing but causing him unneeded stress. Alastair scoffed at his suggestion as he came to stop at a small control box near the back of Castiel’s enclosure. 

“Nonsense. How are we supposed to get any data that way?” Alastair muttered under his breath as he opened the box and began to fiddle with the controls. 

“It isn’t like he is cooperating anyways, right?” Dean practically pleaded. Castiel was still holding an enraged posture directed at Alastair, but occasionally he would let his gaze wander to Dean, and it made a stab of guilt shoot through him as he recognized that look in the alpha’s eyes. Betrayal.

“We don’t need his cooperation for this.” Alastair replied cryptically. Dean was worried. He was even more worried when another scientist named Meg showed up with a large black bag. 

“Well, you must be the new kid.” She looked Dean up and down, but it wasn’t done in the suggestive way that Alastair had previously. If anything it was more judging, as though she were trying to discern his capabilities with a glance.  
“Yeah. Dean.” He replied shortly. He was still worried about what they were going to do to Castiel. Going into the cage would be suicide. How did they expect to collect anything from him? 

“So, what do we need today?” Meg turned to Alastair and leaned against the control box with a yawn. 

“Three vials of blood and a handful of feathers.” Alastair replied. Dean saw Castiel recoil at his words. This was obviously not the first time they had done this. 

“How are you going to-“ Dean shook his head. There was no way Meg was going to go in there, right? She had to know the alpha could tear her apart with no effort whatsoever once the barrier between them was gone. “I really don’t think this is a good idea. Benny said Castiel was left alone for a reason.” 

“Oh get your head out of your ass.” Meg grumbled as she positioned herself by the back of the enclosure. Castiel was having a hard time splitting his attention between her and Alastair, but Dean was impressed with how well he was doing conveying his hatred for both of them.

“Alright, ready?” Alastair asked her with completely inappropriate excitement. Meg nodded and pulled out a large syringe from her bag. Castiel was practically shaking with rage as Alastair began to twist a dial in the control box. Dean looked between the angel and the scientist, unsure what was going to happen. It wasn’t until the power limiters that were circled around the alpha’s neck and wrists began to give off a high pitched humming that he realized what was going on. 

Castiel recoiled in what appeared to be pain, and his flared wings collapsed against his body defensively as he stumbled away from the bars. He managed to hold his footing for a few moments, but Alastair just turned the knob even further and he was immediately on his knees. 

“Stop!” Dean cried when he realized what was happening. The alpha didn’t make a sound, but it was obvious that he was in agony. Alastair ignored him and punched something in on a keypad next to the knob. A small opening appeared in the bars, big enough for a human but definitely not for an angel with wings the size of Castiel’s. Meg slipped through lithely and landed gracefully on the floor of the enclosure. 

Castiel seemed vaguely aware that she was approaching, and he made an effort to flare his wings out slightly in warning. Alastair just hummed and turned the dial even further though, and then the angel was on the ground writhing. 

“Stop it!” Dean yelled again, this time with more force. He couldn’t just stand and watch what they were doing. Castiel opened his eyes, blurry with pain, and turned them to Dean. Dean stared into those blue orbs intently, trying to push any amount of comfort he could at the angel. Castiel just shivered and closed his eyes once more as Meg began to pluck feathers roughly from his beautiful wings. 

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t just stand by and watch them practically torture an angel to collect some stupid samples. This violated every ethical code he had ever been taught. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was back on his feet and lunging at Alastair. 

The scientist seemed surprised by Dean’s sudden attack, and fell roughly onto the ground when he was shoved mercilessly out of the way. Meg realized what was happening and yelled for him to stop, but Dean wasn’t thinking clearly. He reached out and turned the dial back down to zero. 

The chaos that ensued was instantaneous. Castiel’s wings, previously curled protectively around his own body, lashed out immediately and knocked Meg off of her feet. She quickly scrambled away as the alpha rose, furious, and postured aggressively at her. Dean was suddenly afraid. Was he going to kill her? 

“Cas, stop!” He pleaded. The alpha turned to look at him once more, and Dean recoiled when he realized that now that same anger that had been directed at Meg and Alastair was directed at him. His temporary distraction gave Meg the opportunity she needed to scamper to the small opening and crawl out, leaving her bag behind. 

“Winchester!” She hissed, her eyes wild as she stalked toward him. 

“Meg, I’m sorry. I wasn’t think-” His words were cut off as she hit him across the jaw with a mean right hook. He stumbled to the ground and she kicked him hard in the side for good measure. 

“You could have gotten me killed! What the hell were you thinking!?”

“I’m sorry!” Dean lifted a hand to wipe away the blood that was trickling from his cheek. “But that was completely inappropriate! That violates every-” 

“You really are new around here.” She spat, kicking dirt at him before stalking over to Alastair and pulling him to his feet. “Well, after a stunt like that, don’t expect to be coming back.” 

“That was very foolish, Dean.” Alastair chided as he calmly brushed the dust off of his lab coat. “I can’t say it was a pleasure working with you. I doubt we will be seeing each other again.” 

Dean nodded tensely as he watched the scientist retreat after Meg. He had really fucked it up now. He had been chosen out of hundreds of applicants for a position at Crossroads Research, and he had completely thrown it away. 

He turned back to the enclosure, his sorrow only increasing when he realized the hateful glare the angel was now giving him. 

“I’m sorry, Cas.” His voice broke as he spoke, realizing this was more than likely the last chance he would get to talk to the angel. He guessed they wouldn’t end up becoming friends after all. “If I had known, I would have done something sooner.” 

Castiel continued to glare at him, his expression hard and his wings set in an aggressive posture. Dean knew there was no use trying to explain himself now.

“I guess this is goodbye.” He felt wetness in the corner of his eye and quickly reached up to wipe it away. He was not going to cry. Sure, this was probably one of the worst days of his life, but he wouldn’t do this here. He was the one that had royally fucked it up. He was sure he would be getting a call any time now to tell him he was officially released. 

“Bye, Cas.” He tried his best to give the angel a small smile, but he just couldn’t force his face to cooperate. “I really am going to miss you.” 

He was pretty sure he would make a complete fool of himself if he stayed any longer, so he gave the angel one last wave and made his way back toward the entrance of the facility. He passed Charlie in the hallway, who obviously realized something was wrong if her concerned frown was anything to go by. 

“Dean?” She questioned, sounding almost frantic. “Are you okay?” 

Dean just shook his head and kept walking. 

“Dean, hey!” She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around and face her. “What the hell? What happened? Did Alastair do something to you, because I swear to god I’ll-” 

“I have to go. Sorry, Charlie.” His heart ached when he realized he would more than likely never see her again, either. “It was really great working with you. I just want you to know that.” 

“Dean- what are you talking about?” Charlie looked even more concerned now. Dean shook his head and turned away from her grip. 

“Dean!” 

He couldn’t talk to her right now. The idea of having to sit down and explain to her what he had done, how he had almost gotten someone _killed_ , was too much. He handed his ID card to Gordon on the way out, and the guard gave him a curious look, but didn’t comment. Dean figured he probably didn’t need it anymore. 

The first thing he did was drive to the nearest bar, homework be damned. There was no way he was going to be able to get through this sober.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks everyone for reading. I know things seem rough for our dear Dean right now, but fear not. Please comment and kudos if you enjoy. :)


	5. Mending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. Life has been super hectic. I know, I always say that, but it really has been! I haven't had a chance to get this to my beta, so I apologize for any mistakes! I wanted to post it as soon as possible because of how long you all have had to wait. Enjoy!

Dean woke up the next morning with a splitting headache, a nasty bruise where Meg had punched him, and about sixteen missed calls on his phone. He groaned as he rolled out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, almost not making it to the toilet in time as he vomited the mix of alcohol and bile that had been churning in his stomach all night. 

He let his head loll against the porcelain as he looked bleary-eyed at the screen of his phone. The majority of them were from Charlie, but there were a few from Benny and even one from Chuck. He groaned when his stupid ringtone began to blare and his phone vibrated in his hand. _**Incoming Call** : Charlie_ flashed across the screen and he stared at it for a while before deciding to turn the damn thing off. He couldn’t deal with this right now. 

After emptying his stomach several more times (it had been years since he had a hangover this bad), he forced himself to stumble into the shower and wash the bar grime off of himself. He vaguely remembered the bartender cutting him off, and he realized with panic that she had taken his keys too. He would have to take a cab back to that place to pick Baby up. 

A cursory glance at his clock after he finally stumbled out of the shower and managed to pull some clothes on meant it was way too late for him to make it to class on time. He was somewhat relieved about that anyways. He had no idea what he was going to say to his councilor. Was there even time to try and find an internship somewhere else? More than likely he would have to put off his degree another year. He had no idea how that was going to fly. He could barely make ends meet as it was. 

He finally made it down the street and managed to hail a cab. The driver kept sneaking furtive glances at him from the mirror, and he sighed. He knew he looked like a mess. The part of his face Meg nailed yesterday had blossomed into an impressive blue and purple bruise that covered the entire left side of his face from cheekbone to chin. He pressed lightly against the swollen flesh and winced. It was probably going to hurt for a while. 

“Thanks,” He mumbled and shoved some bills into the driver’s outstretched hand as he staggered out of the cab and shielded his eyes from the glaring sun. He really shouldn’t have had so much to drink. Baby was parked in the corner of the now-empty lot, and he just hoped the bartender from last night was around with his keys. 

“Hello?” He called out as he pushed the door open slowly. The sign outside said they were open, but there was no one he could see in the dim, dusty room. The tables were completely empty, as was the bar itself. He sighed and began to turn around, figuring he would just have to come back later, when a familiar voice rang out. 

“Dean?” 

He instantly swung back ground as a petite blonde emerged from the back room carrying a bottle of Lysol and a stack of fresh towels. “…Jo?” 

“What are you doing here?” She questioned as she set the items in her arms down and leaned against the bar. “Don’t you have school or something?” 

“I could ask the same,” He replied, still in shock. He had met Jo on his first day at the facility. As far as he knew, she and her mom, Ellen, were trappers. Why was she working here? 

“Oh, this,” She sighed and gestured down at the apron. “It’s kinda our family business. Mom and I work here in the off season.” 

“Ah,” Dean replied, still not really understanding. Trappers made great money. It was an incredibly dangerous job. Why would they need to work in their off time? Jo seemed to be able to tell exactly what he was thinking, because she began to explain anyways.

“My dad started this place,” She gestured around the bar as she made her way behind the counter and crouched down to put the towels away under the sink. “He was a trapper, too. A great one.” 

“Was?” Dean asked curiously as he sat down at one of the stools and watched Jo work. 

“He died.” She responded curtly, her voice flat. Dean immediately regretted asking. Why did he always seem to ask the wrong thing? 

“Oh… I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” Her face softened and she smiled at him sadly. “He was just going to do one last job. He never made it back.”

“Jo…” Dean was at a loss. What could he say to comfort her? “My dad died too. I’m sorry.” 

“You already said you were sorry,” She laughed and wiped at the corner of her eye. “I’m fine, really. Yeah it sucks, but we all knew the risks of the job. The same thing could happen to Mom or I, too.” 

“Then why do it?” Dean had heard the horror stories. He knew how dangerous angels were, even in captivity. Going into their territory in the wilds and trying to capture them, though? To him it just seemed suicidal. Still, it was a job _someone_ had to do. 

“Mom didn’t want me to,” Jo whispered, looking around as though making sure Ellen wouldn’t pop out of nowhere and scold her. “She still won’t let me go on any jobs without her. She doesn’t think I’m capable of doing it without her constantly watching every little thing I do.” 

“She’s just worried,” Dean replied. “I can’t really blame her. If Sammy told me he wanted to be a trapper, no way in hell I would stand for it.”

“Thanks, Dean, but I’m not a child anymore. I don’t need you telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing.” 

Dean winced slightly at her tone. He could tell she was a bit irritated, and he didn’t really blame her. He had probably crossed a line. “Hey, um… Do you happen to have my keys back there?” 

“Why would we have your-” She looked back up at him from where she was scrubbing grim off the sink, surprise on her face. “Wait, did you literally get so drunk that the bartender had to take your keys?” 

Dean groaned and closed his eyes. This conversation was getting dangerous close to having to explain what happened yesterday, and he was definitely _not_ ready to go there. “Come on Jo, I just need my keys.” 

“Wait, did you get into a bar fight or something?” She squinted as she looked closer at Dean. “You look like you went a few rounds with a baseball bat.” 

“Thanks,” He grumbled, and instinctively reached up to gently touch his aching cheek. “Anyways, I really need to get out of here.”

“Oh? Do you work later?” Jo asked as she began rifling around in one of the drawers. 

“Not exactly,” Dean mumbled, trying to be as vague as possible and hoping that she left it at that. 

“Are these them?” She asked as she dangled his keys in front of his face. He immediately snatched them out of her hands and pocketed them. 

“Thanks. It was great running into you, but I’ve really got to-”

“Dean. What happened, really?” Jo looked concerned as she stared once more at the blossoming bruise on his face. He instinctively turned his head away and started towards the door. 

“Nothing. Thanks for the keys, Jo. But I’ve really got to get out of here.” 

“Okay, okay. I’ll see you later though, right?” She frowned as she watched him leave. It wasn’t until he was driving down the road that Dean realized he probably should have at least said goodbye. When he finally got back home, he didn’t even bother taking his jacket off before he curled back up into his unmade bed and fell asleep. 

++

Dean awoke in a panic to a loud thumping on his door and a muffled voice that seemed to be calling his name. He looked down at his watch, bleary eyed, and realized that it was nearly eight PM. He had been asleep for hours. On the bright side, at least his headache from earlier was almost gone. 

“Hold on!” He called out, voice raspy from sleep. He had no idea who was at his door, but they would have to wait. He scrambled out of bed and ran a hand through his sleep ruffled hair, trying to tame it at least a bit before he answered. 

He peered carefully out of the peephole before he answered, and was relieved to see that it was his brother. Sam looked pretty frantic, but it was better him than Charlie or something. It probably wouldn’t be too difficult for her to swipe his address from the employee files. He sighed and unlocked the door, opening it wide for his brother to enter. 

As soon as Sam set eyes on him, he let out a huge sigh of relief and pulled him into an uncomfortably tight hug. Dean returned it, confused, and winced when his brother finally pulled away and immediately began to yell. 

“What the hell, Dean!” He glared. “You didn’t go to work today? Or class?” 

“What- how do you know that?” Dean asked, ignoring Sam’s previous questions. Sam shook his head and began looking around Dean’s apartment. 

“Where the hell is your phone, anyways? I’ve been calling you all day.” 

“Oh… I turned it off,” Dean replied, not wanting to get into it with Sam. He knew he would have to tell him eventually though. His brother would want to know why his internship, the one he had been so excited about, was suddenly a bust. 

“Dean, why?” Sam’s anger once again simmered away to concern as he looked his brother up and down. When his eyes finally rested on the dark bruise covering most of Dean’s face, his eyes widened and his fists clenched. “Who did that to you?”

“Wha?” Dean reached his hand up to where Sam was staring intently, surprised when he felt the pain as his fingers touched the mark. He had forgotten about that. “Oh, it’s nothing. Um… bar fight.” 

“You were out drinking?” Sam once again looked disappointed as he sighed and closed the door behind him. “Is that why you missed work? You need to be careful, Dean. They can get rid of you for something like that.” 

“I know, I know,” He grumbled and flopped down on the small couch. Sam sat beside him and gave him an appraising stare. 

“What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.” He knew Sam would be able to tell he was lying the moment the words left his mouth, but he _really_ didn’t want to talk about it. Sam sighed and shook his head. 

“I got a call from someone named Charlie? She said she’s been trying to reach you. Apparently I was listed as your emergency contact.” Dean could hear a question in Sam’s words, but he didn’t respond to it. Sam continued, “She said you seemed pretty upset when you left yesterday, and she wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine,” Dean grumbled, looking down. He really didn’t want to have this discussion right now, especially not with Sam. How was he supposed to admit to his brother that he had fucked everything up? Crossroads inc. was the be-all end-all in the field of angelic research. If he was on their blacklist, he doubted he would be able to find a job _anywhere_ in the field. 

Sam shook his head and stood up, making his way to the kitchen. Dean leaned back in the chair and stared blindly up at the cracked ceiling. He could hear Sam fiddling around with the ice trays, the telltale crackling noise a dead giveaway. Before long his brother was back with a makeshift ice pack he made with a dishtowel. He tried to press it gently against Dean’s head, but the latter snatched it from him and placed it there himself.

“Dean, please tell me what happened,” Sam implored after several minutes of watching his brother stare unseeingly at the wall in front of him. Dean sighed. 

“I did something stupid, okay?” 

“What kind of stupid?” Sam asked, narrowing his eyes. Dean could practically feel his gaze burning through the side of his skull. 

“Like, out of a job stupid.” 

Sam didn’t say anything, for which Dean was eternally grateful. They sat there, side by side, and stared at the wall together for a long time. Dean closed his eyes and leaned back against the old, rickety couch, resting his head lightly against scratchy material. He felt lighter, somehow, for having gotten it off his chest. The words were free, and now nothing could take them back. 

“Okay,” Sam eventually said, his voice strangely calm, and he stood once more. “I’m pretty hungry. Want to go get burgers or something?” 

Dean cracked one of his eyes open and stared at his brother’s back. Sam was already making his way back to the door, pulling his brand new pea coat back and checking his phone. The younger Winchester stood facing the door for a few minutes, but eventually turned back to his brother and gave him a small, forced smile. “You coming? 

“Yeah.” 

++

“What happened to that juice detox thing you and Jess were doing?” Dean asked, suspicious, as the waitress set down a greasy double bacon cheeseburger in front of his health nut of a brother. Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean and lifted the pile of cheese and fat to his mouth, taking an impressive bite that had bits of grease dribbling down his chin. Dean stared at him in shock. 

“What?” Sam finally asked, mouth still full of half-chewed burger. Dean looked down at his own meal, trying to work up an appetite, but his stomach felt sick with anxiety. He dipped one of the fries into the glob of mayo and ketchup mixed on the side of his plate, and popped it into his mouth reluctantly, fully aware of Sam’s intense gaze. 

“Nothing, just tired.” 

“I bet,” Sam chuckled, finally wiping the grease stains off of his chin and setting the half-eaten burger back down in its nest of fries. He looked at his brother contemplatively, his gaze drifting down to Dean’s barely touched food and then back up into his downcast green eyes. “Is your food okay?” 

“Huh?” Dean instantly snapped his eyes back up to meet his brother’s, then looked back down at his burger. He picked it up and took a small bite off of the side. After swallowing, he replied, “Yeah, sorry.”

Sam raised his eyebrows at him but didn’t comment further. They sat in silence for a while, neither willing to broach the heavy question that sat between them like a boulder. Sam looked down at his watch, the one Dean had gotten him for his birthday last year, then turned his gaze to the door anxiously. Dean narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his brother’s behavior. Was he expecting someone? 

As if on cue, the door opened and a familiar redhead walked in and looked around the small diner. Dean immediately ducked his head, hoping that she wouldn’t notice him. Much to his dismay, Sam was waving her over! It suddenly made sense why his brother had willingly taken him to a cheap burger joint without a green thing in sight. Charlie’s eyes brightened as she spotted them, their small table tucked in the corner of the small diner, and nearly tripped over a chair and a booth as she ran.

“Hey,” Dean mumbled as he looked up at her, his face flushed with embarrassment. She gave him a stern look as she plopped down in a chair next to Sam- and directly across from him. It was impossible to avoid her gaze. 

“Hey? _Hey_?” She parroted as he scowl deepened. “That’s it? Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?” 

“Worried?” Dean frowned. Why would they have been _worried_ , of all things? 

“You really are an idiot, you know that right?” She sighed and turned her exasperated frown to Sam. “Is he always this dense?”

“Always,” Sam grinned, eyes sparkling. Dean wanted to punch him. 

Charlie reached down and grabbed a fry off of Dean’s almost untouched plate, shoving it into her mouth as she continued to stare him down with a long-suffering glower. “We know what happened, Dean.” 

Dean felt his mouth go dry. He had hoped that his dismissal would be as vague as possible. Perhaps they would say he had been _let go_ , and that would be the end of it. Then, everyone else could _let go_ of him as well. Apparently, he had dared to hope for too much. 

“Hey,” Charlie said, her voice suddenly soft and comforting. “We know it wasn’t your fault.” 

“…It wasn’t?” 

“Of course not!” She practically yelled, causing several patrons to stare at them with mild alarm. She looked angry again, but Dean has a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t him she was angry with. 

“You weren’t there,” Dean insisted, still staring at his now soggy burger and cold fries. “I almost got someone killed.” 

“That wasn’t your fault, Dean,” She replied, reaching a hand out to place softly over his. “She wasn’t supposed to even be in there. What Meg and Alastair were doing was totally against the rules.”

“But…” Dean trailed off, trying to understand but failing. “I don’t get it. They said I was going to be fired.” 

“That would involve actually telling someone they had been messing with Castiel.” 

“So it was a bluff?”

“Bingo.” 

“Wait, How do you even know what happened then?” Dean eyed his friend suspiciously. If Alastair and Meg hadn’t actually told anyone, then how on earth did Charlie know? 

“Remember Ash?” 

Dean nodded. He vaguely recalled the scrawny looking guy with mullet and a kind smile that he had been introduced to weeks before. “Security and surveillance right?” 

Charlie nodded. 

“He looked at the cameras,” Charlie replied, and held her phone up. “He sent a copy of the video to me. Just in time, too, apparently someone broke in and deleted the tapes right after.” 

“Alastair?” Dean stared at Charlie in shock. Sure, the guy was creepy, but _why_ was he doing this? Why risk his career studying Castiel if he was just going to destroy any evidence of it? Charlie shrugged and put her phone back in her pocket. 

“We aren’t sure. Whoever broke in to delete that one also made sure to take care of the footage of the hallway. Here is where it gets sticky though,” She looked around the diner, as though checking to make sure no one was listening in, and then leaned closer to Dean. “We do have footage of Alastair in his lab through the entire night. He may have given the order, but he wasn’t the one who actually destroyed the tapes.” 

“That’s convenient,” Dean mumbled, looking to Sam for the first time since Charlie had walked in. His brother had his eyebrows raised so high they seemed to be in danger of being swallowed by his thick hairline. “He’s made sure he had an alibi, didn’t he?” 

Sam nodded slowly, still trying to absorb what exactly Dean and Charlie had revealed. “Legally, if he can prove he wasn’t actually the one there, you can’t do anything about it.” 

“That’s why we have to find out who else is working with him,” Charlie replied, looking back at Dean with a worried expression. “Not many people have access to the security room. I can only think of a handful, including Ash, and the upper management of course.” 

“What about Meg? She was there during the whole thing,” Dean supplied. She definitely had a motive. 

“She has an alibi too,” Charlie groaned, obviously exasperated. “Besides, she couldn’t get in anyways.” 

“Have you shown anyone the video?” Dean felt anger begin to rise in his chest. If Alastair and Meg had treated Cas that way, and now they were trying to destroy evidence to cover it up, there was going to be hell to pay. 

“I can’t,” Charlie lamented. “I wasn’t even supposed to see it. Ash only realized what happened because I specifically asked him to check it out. If they find out he released that footage to me, he’ll lose his job.” 

“Then we can’t do anything,” Dean groaned and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “They’re just going to keep hurting Cas.” 

“I know, it sucks,” Charlie whispered and looked down at the chipped table. “Benny and I have been taking turns hanging out around the breeding pens to keep an eye on him, but we can’t be there _all_ the time.” 

“I wish I could come back,” Dean admitted as he pushed his plate to the side. He didn’t want to look at it anymore. He felt sick. Castiel had been prodded and plucked like a chicken right in front of his eyes, and he had been powerless to do anything about it. He was a bit taken aback when Charlie’s face suddenly lit up in a radiant smile. 

“You really will?” She sounded ecstatic, but hesitation still clung to her words. Dean gulped heavily and nodded. 

“Yeah. They can’t get away with this,” Dean said, more firmly this time. Charlie looked like she was going to jump out of her chair and start screaming her glee to everyone around. Sam seemed to sense this danger, because immediately spoke to catch her attention. 

“Dean, I don’t know about this,” He turned his attention to his brother and then back to Charlie. “Are these people dangerous? Why would they even do that in front of you?” 

“I guess they wanted me to help them,” Dean spat, disgusted at the thought that Alastair actually though he would go along with torturing Castiel like that. 

“Just, be careful,” Sam looked worried, and Dean couldn’t really blame him. He wished his brother didn’t have to know about any of this, but it was too late now. Charlie grinned and rose from her seat, circling the table until she was directly behind Dean. Without any hesitation, she threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. 

“Welcome back!” 

++

When Dean arrived at the facility the next morning, he was determined. Gordon raised an eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything as he handed him back the ID card that Dean had relinquished to him previously. When he came across Becky in the lobby, she stopped and stared at him in shock. 

“You’re back?” 

“Yeah,” He nodded, making his way to the desk. “Do I need to like… fill out any paperwork?” 

Becky shook her head and continued to stare at him, wide-eyed. “No, no. Although next time you’re sick, it _would_ be nice if you called.” 

_Sick_? Is that what Charlie had been telling people in an attempt to keep him from getting into trouble? He thanked her silently and nodded with forced contrition, “Sorry about that, it came on pretty suddenly.” 

Becky gave him a shaky smile and scooted back a few inches in her chair. “Are you… feeling better?”

He gave her the brightest smile he could muster, “Much.”

“Brother?” 

Dean spun around rapidly when he heard Benny’s familiar drawl. His stunned face immediately morphed into one of delight as he pulled Dean into a suffocating bear hug. 

“Nice to see you too, Benny,” Dean spluttered, trying to catch his breath when the larger man finally released him from his death grip. Benny narrowed his eyes as he took in Dean’s face, and Dean remembered belatedly that he still had a nasty purple bruise under his eye. He shook his head and forced himself to smile. “Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it looks.” 

“Sure,” Benny replied, his face darkening.

“Did… Charlie show you?” He trusted Benny, he really did, but he didn’t want to do anything that might get Ash in trouble. If Benny already knew, great. If not? He wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. Thankfully, Benny nodded. 

“She did. We can’t prove anything yet, but we can watch Castiel and make sure that they don’t hurt ‘im again.” 

Dean nodded, looking down as he thought about the alpha. He wondered if Castiel was still pissed at him. Probably. He really couldn’t blame him, either. Sure, he eventually put a stop to it, but not until after the damage had already been done. Still, he had to make things right. 

“Chuck is watchin’ ‘im now,” Benny continued as he motioned for Dean to follow him out back and into the jeep. “But he’s been there all night. You want to go take his place?” 

Dean gulped at the offer, but shook his head slowly and turned away, watching the large enclosures race by as they drove to the main facility. “I don’t think he’d really like that.” 

“What, you mean Castiel?” Benny narrowed his eyes as he looked at Dean, questioning. “Brother, you’re the only one of us humans he can damn near stand.” 

Dean laughed derisively and continued to stare at the window. _Not anymore_. Benny sighed as they finally reached their destination, and he hopped out quickly and motioned for Dean to follow him. “Guess I’ll just have to show you.” 

Dean felt his stomach twist into a knot of nerves as he realized Benny was leading him towards Castiel’s enclosure. He wanted to protest, but an even larger part of him wanted to make sure the angel was okay. He knew he would probably get a glare and a terrifying threat display if Castiel caught sight of him, but he would take that chance to see with his own eyes that the angel was okay. 

“Castiel!” Benny called as they approached, and Dean flinched and moved to stand behind the larger man. He thought they were just going to watch him until someone else was able to take over, not call such blatant attention to themselves. He sighed in relief when he realized that the alpha wasn’t even in sight. He was probably up in the canopy, hiding from view.

“You ain’t gonna believe who we finally found!” Benny called again, and Dean squeaked as his human shield reached behind himself and yanked him into view. Dean held his breath as he saw a sudden rustling in the branches far above, and then a sleek black figure dash to the ground. It was reminiscent of the first time Dean had met Castiel in all of his glory, wings arched high and mighty. This was different though. He wasn’t posturing aggressively, or even dominantly. His wings were tucked behind him in a relaxed posture, and he immediately approached the fence. Dean took several steps back as the alpha got closer, still remembering the warnings he had been given about not getting too close. Castiel didn’t seem to mind though, and once he was as close as he could get against the bars, he began looking Dean up and down with consternation. 

Dean shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze, but he didn’t move away. From what he could tell so far, Castiel’s behavior wasn’t _aggressive_. In fact, he had no idea how to interpret that the strange, almost frantic behavior of the alpha in front of him. 

“Hey, Cas,” He finally said, voice shaky, as he turned his head fully to face the overly curious angel. Castiel’s relaxed posture instantly tensed as he stared at Dean’s face, and the latter felt dread build in the pit of his stomach as he saw the alpha’s wings begin to twitch with anger. He knew this was a bad idea! 

“Dean, wait,” Benny put his hand on the intern’s shoulder to keep him from a hasty retreat. Dean gulped and looked between Benny and Castiel frantically. He didn’t want to cause a scene here, and it was obvious that the angel hadn’t forgiven him. Benny sighed and shook his head. “You aren’t mad at Dean, right Castiel?” 

Castiel looked over at Benny, his wings still ruffled with aggression, then back Dean, who was staring at the ground and wringing his hands nervously. He seemed to finally realize how the human had interpreted his behavior, because his wings fell still once more and relaxed into a less threatening position. Benny smiled and nudged Dean on the shoulder. 

“I knew it. It’s that nice shiner you got that has him in a fit,” Benny nodded definitively.

Castiel stared again at the human. Dean was still a bit hesitant, unwilling to believe that the alpha would actually care about something like that. He lifted his hand slowly and set it against the purpled skin of his cheek, surprised when Castiel’s eyes once again narrowed and his wings seemed to quiver against his own volition. 

“Someone’s protective,” Benny laughed, and that earned him a scorching glare from the alpha. Dean was still hesitant, unwilling to believe that Castiel held any feelings for him but contempt, but Benny seemed convinced. “Dean, how about you take this shift? In a few hours we’ll send someone to replace you. If you see Alastair...” 

His voice lowered, but Castiel obviously still heard it and the angel practically growled at the mention of the scientist’s name. Benny ignored him and continued, “You call me, brother, you hear?” 

Dean nodded, still stunned that he was going to have to stay here for the next few hours. A few days ago, he would have been over the moon to be given an excuse to study the alpha, uninterrupted, for such a long period of time. Now? He felt awkward and unsure. They needed him though, and if one thing was certain, he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Alastair or Meg get anywhere _near_ Castiel again. 

“I’m sorry,” He offered, his voice contrite as he sat slowly near the guard rail. His eyes never left the angel. Castiel said nothing, but tilted his head to the side and stared at him attentively. Dean gulped and fidgeted with his backpack, unnerved by the alpha’s unblinking gaze. He was still pressed against the bars, and Dean couldn’t remember ever being in such close proximity to him. From here, he could see every detail of his magnificent feathers. It made Meg’s crime of plucking them seem that much worse. “I’m not going to let them hurt you again, Cas. I promise.” 

Castiel remained silent, but his gaze never left Dean. The human held it for as long as he could, but eventually he couldn’t bear the naked intensity from the angel and looked down. Several more minutes went by, and he was about to pull his field journal out to start taking notes when he heard it, those three gravelly words that would be forever etched into his memory. 

“Thank you, Dean.”


	6. Revealing Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting in 2 parts because of length and story purposes. 
> 
> ((Sorry for deleting and reposting this chapter, I was having some major formatting issues. Ao3 was making my entire text italic for some reason))
> 
> Sorry for how long this took to get up. I didn't have access to a computer for quite a while, and obviously that put all of my writing projects on hold. The problem is fixed now though, so expect more frequent updates!

The rest of the week passed without incident. Dean spent the majority of his mornings and some of his afternoons sitting with the Alpha and making sure that Alastair and Meg didn’t try anything funny with him again. When he was unavailable, Benny or Chuck or Charlie would take his place guarding Castiel. It was a bit more difficult for them, since they were actually employed by the labs and had to have something to show for it if they expected to stay that way. Another issue was who would guard Castiel at night. Few employees had clearance to stay at the facility after regular working hours, and Ash informed him that Alastair was one of them.

“What do you have to do to get clearance?” Dean asked while he poured himself a cup of coffee in the break room. Charlie had been sitting with Castiel while he had been in class, but he was eager to relieve her. Hester was about ready to lay and he knew that Missouri couldn’t afford to spare her for much longer.

“Talk to Crowley,” Ash muttered and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He had been working all night watching the cameras, and was getting ready to head home. “They normally only let essential personal in overnight, but that’s because they don’t want to have to pay them the overtime moola.”

“Crowley?” Dean questioned, wracking his brain. He knew he had heard that name before, but he couldn’t remember where exactly it had been.

“Yeah, he’s the general manager,” Ash replied with a yawn. “Does scheduling, that kind of thing.”

“Where can I talk to him?”

“Beats me,” Ash replied, “he’s never in his office. Damn near impossible to get ahold of. Shady little guy if you ask me.”

“Thanks,” Dean nodded. “I’ll do that.”

Ash gave him a quick salute and then grabbed his coat off of the hanger and made his exit. Dean looked down at his half-finished coffee and sighed, glancing at the clock. It was his turn to watch Castiel.

The walk to the Alpha’s enclosure was quick and painless. He had made the trip so many times in the last week that he was pretty sure he could find his way sleepwalking now. Charlie was sitting on the steps near the guard rail dozing with a mug teetering dangerously to her side, and Dean quickly swooped down to pull it out of harm’s way.

“Charlie?” he prodded, nudging her gently on the shoulder. She jerked violently as her eyes snapped open, and Dean was glad that he had thought to move her mug.

“Dean?”

“Hey, I’m here now. You can get back to Missouri, I think Hester is about ready to lay her clutch. I saw Benny and Chuck heading over to her territory.”

“Really?” Charlie jumped up with excitement and snatched her thermos out of Dean’s hands. “Oh, I wish you could be there, Dean!”

“It’s okay, I’m fine with watching Cas.”

“Stop by the medical facility later though, okay?”

“Alright, alright. Now hurry up, I’m pretty sure there is a pregnant angel that isn’t going to wait for you.”

Charlie nodded and scurried off back toward the facility. Dean smiled fondly as he watched her go. He really did want to be there to see Hester’s laying, but right now this took precedent. He turned back toward Castiel’s enclosure and sat against the guard rail, swinging his feet over the other side ad leaning his chin on the railing. It was a beautiful day, and the Alpha was sunning himself beneath the dappled shade of lone oak. He cracked his eyes slightly as Dean sat down, and the latter didn’t miss the small smile that appeared briefly on his face.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean gave him a small wave and continued resting his head on the rail. Castiel didn’t respond with words, but he gave him a small nod of acknowledgement. Dean was beginning to think what he had heard the other day was a figment of his imagination, but it couldn’t be. Castiel had spoken to him, and with any luck he would speak to him again.

Dean was confused when he saw Castiel’s relaxed posture suddenly tense, and a menacing growl emit from the Alpha.

“Dean, Dean, Dean…. All alone, are we?”

Dean tensed and slowly turned his head, gulping with dread as he realized that the person speaking to him was Alastair. The scientist snaked toward him slowly, his eyes narrowed into a sneer as he made his way toward him. Dean instinctively looked around, but realized with dismay that he was all alone here. Because of Hester’s laying, the majority of the on-site staff were occupied at the medical facility.

“You better get out of here,” Dean warned, trying to make his voice sound solid and firm. Alastair just let out a breathy chuckle and continued to advance. Behind him, Dean could hear Castiel beating his wings with outrage and knew that the Alpha was probably trying to intimidate Alastair with his most formidable posture.

“Oh? And why is that?” Alastair ignored Castiel, his laser-focus directed solely on Dean now.

“Ash is taping this whole thing,” Dean bluffed, but he knew better. Ash had gone home for the day. He had no idea who was running the security booth right now.

“Ah, I see,” Alastair sighed, “you think my intentions here are… dishonorable.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Language, young man. This is a professional environment.”

“Maybe you should have kept that in mind before you tortured Cas!”

“I merely came to give you a friendly warning.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” Dean growled. Alastair smiled and shook his head in what appeared to be a pitying gesture.

“You really shouldn’t have come back, Dean.”

Dean could practically feel Castiel’s glare burning through his back as he stood in front of the enclosure protectively. Alastair just smiled widely, looking him up and down slowly. Dean shuddered. The scientists seemed to finally be satisfied, however, and he eventually left. Dean turned back to reassure Castiel, and was surprised at the thunderous look on the Alpha’s face. He gulped nervously. Even though he knew his posture wasn’t directed at him, it was still as intimidating as all hell.

“Hey, Cas, it’s fine,” Dean tried to reassure him. “I’m not going to let him hurt you, okay?”

Castiel shook his head and huffed in frustration. Dean frowned.

“What is it?” Dean asked. Castiel looked at the ground for a moment, a strangely uncertain gesture coming from a creature as powerful as an Alpha, and Dean was left wondering what had caused his sudden uncharacteristic shyness. “Cas? Are you okay?”

The Alpha looked back up at him uncertainly, and slowly reached one of his arm through the bars and toward Dean. The latter instinctively stepped back, panic suddenly overcoming him. He could practically hear Benny screaming in his head: don’t get too close. Lose an arm.

He looked down at the gently extended limb, unsure of what to do. Castiel was looking at him imploringly, and it wasn’t difficult to decipher his behavior. He wanted Dean to go within reach. Why? Dean had absolutely no idea. He was pretty sure he hadn’t done anything to piss the angel off enough to want to kill him, but why else would he want him so close?

“Dean.”

Dean’s head snapped back up when he heard that same gravelly voice from before softly say his name. He looked into Castiel’s eyes, and felt himself inexplicably drawn to obey as he gazed into the concerned blue. He found himself taking a step forward before he realized what was happening, and that he was probably only seconds away from being dismembered. He forced himself to jerk back, away from the Alpha’s reach, and turn away.

“I have to go,” Dean stumbled, putting as much distance between himself and the Alpha as he possibly could by scrambling up the steps. “I—I have to go, Cas.”

“Dean?”

There it was again. That voice saying his name. It was filled with gentle concern and a bit of confusion. He gulped heavily and pulled out his cell, dialing Benny. He explained as best he could with his heart beating like crazy from adrenaline that he needed someone, anyone, to watch Castiel for the rest of the day. Something in his voice must have given his panic way, because Benny was immediately telling him not to move and that he would be there as fast as he could. Dean nodded and sat down at the top of the steps.

Benny arrived much more quickly than Dean expected him to, and after explaining what had happened with Alastair, Benny told him to take the rest of the day off. Dean was glad that he didn’t have to tell him what happened with Castiel. He didn’t want to get the Alpha in trouble. Even if he had wanted to hurt him, he couldn’t blame Castiel for hating humans after what they did to him and his clan. He felt like a fool for actually thinking the Alpha would ever want to be his friend.

It wasn’t until he began the trek back to the break room that he remembered Hester was laying her clutch today! He wondered if it would be appropriate to stop by the medical facility and check on her. He didn’t want to stress her out, but he wanted to make sure she was okay.

He knocked slowly on the door, and when he didn’t hear anything he cracked it. The lobby and waiting area was completely empty, and he realized that Missouri and Charlie were both probably tied up in back.

“Hello?” he called out hesitantly, not wanting to burst in on something he shouldn’t. He heard faint talking from the back room, and after a few moment’s Charlie poked her head out. She seemed surprised to see him.

“Dean? Why aren’t you with Castiel?”

“Long story,” he replied, not wanting to get into it. “I came to check on Hester. Is she okay?”

Charlie’s tired-out expression tilted up into a small smile. She nodded and motioned for him to follow her. “Would you like to see for yourself?”

“Is that okay?”

“Chuck said you were good with her. She could benefit from a friendly face.”

Dean nodded and made his way into the room that Charlie had motioned him to. It was much more spacious than the one he had seen Inias in previously, and he was pleased to see that it was decorated with soft colors. It felt peaceful. Hester was dozing in a small bed in the center of the room, but she cracked her eyes as Charlie led him into the room. He stopped when he saw her wings tense, but she seemed to recognize it was him and they relaxed once more. Missouri was humming to herself and fiddling over something in the corner.

“Hey, Hester,” Dean gave her a small wave. The angel returned his smile weakly. He was surprised at how docile she was being, given the circumstances.

“She’s under some pretty heavy sedatives,” Charlie offered by way of explanation, as though sensing Dean’s unspoken question. Dean nodded and approached her slowly, sitting down in the chair that was pulled near her bed. She recoiled for a moment, but then relaxed once more.

“How did it go?” Dean asked.

“Pretty well. Three eggs, no wonder she was uncomfortable.”

“Three?” Dean was impressed. Most angels only carried one or two at a time. It definitely explained her back pain.

“They seem to all be healthy, too.”

“Can I see them?” Dean asked, suddenly eager. He had never actually seen an unhatched egg before. The only ones they had to study at the university were empty shells.

“Keep your voice down, boy,” Missouri scolded and finally turned around. “And come over here.”

Dean nodded, momentarily embarrassed about his slip. Hester didn’t seem to mind though, and she watched him walk towards Missouri with a dreamy look on her face.

Dean finally saw what Missouri had been crouched over this entire time, and he felt his breath temporarily leave him at the beautiful sight. Three perfectly rounded eggs, roughly the size of a small newborn human, were nestled against one another in a bed of soft blankets and down feathers. Two of them were pastel blue with soft yellow speckles, but one of them appeared to be almost magenta.

“They’re beautiful,” Dean whispered in awe, reaching a hand out. Missouri quickly swatted it away and shook her head.

“Don’t touch. If there is the scent of another male, Ion could reject them.”

“Why is one of them pink?” Dean asked curiously. He didn’t miss how Charlie and Missouri exchanged a worried look.

“The blue ones are definitely Ion’s,” Charlie explained, “the speckles match his wing pattern perfectly.”

“And the pink one?”

“…It doesn’t mean it is someone else’s,” Charlie interjected quickly. “But if it is from a recessive trait, it is extremely unlikely it would have manifested this way.”

“How is that even possible?” Dean asked, worried. He knew what dominant angels did to eggs in their nest they didn’t believe were their own.

“Come on Dean, you must have taken a basic angel biology class,” Charlie replied. Dean rolled his eyes. Of course he knew that it was possible for a clutch to be fathered by more than one dominant. Angels were kind of like cats in that respect. What he didn’t know is how it could have happened to Hester.

“I thought they were under constant surveillance. Wouldn’t you have seen it if she did the dirty with another angel?”

“It’s unlikely, but possible. We can’t monitor everything all the time,” Charlie replied. “The issue is what will happen to this egg if we put it back into the nest with the other two.”

“Ion wouldn’t actually… you know,” Dean gulped. He knew that dominant angels had been observed not only rejecting, but destroying eggs laid by their mates that were suspected to be from a different angel. It was rare though, more likely they would just refuse to help raise the odd-hatchling out, so the burden would fall solely on the mother. More likely, such eggs were given to couples that were childless to raise. Outright infanticide-or eggicide— was rare. Not impossible though.

“That’s the issue,” Charlie replied. “Ion is an incredibly aggressive angel. You saw what he did to Inias. If any of the angels here were to resort to something like that, it would be him.”

“What are you going to do then?” Dean looked down at the small egg and felt something like rage and protectiveness flare up in his chest. How could anyone want to destroy it for a reason so petty? “You obviously can’t put it back out there.”

“Actually, we were thinking of giving it to Anna,” Charlie replied, looking at Missouri. Dean was a bit taken aback, to say the least.

“What?”

“Her condition has shown little sign of improvement,” Missouri began, “we’ve tried everything. She just seems to have lost all reason or desire to keep on fighting. Maybe this could help her get that back?”

“But what if she rejects it too,” Dean frowned. This didn’t really sound like a solution. Charlie shook her head sympathetically.

“We know, Dean, but what else can we do? If she rejects it too, then we’ll consider other options, but we all hope that it can be raised by another angel.”

Dean nodded. He knew that the plan made sense, but he still felt bad for Hester. “Does she know?”

Missouri looked over at the dozing angel, a look of pain on her face, and shook her head. “No she does not, and you’re not going to tell her either.” Dean wanted to protest, but Missouri put a finger up to signify silence. “She has been through enough for one day, boy, and if you have any respect for her at all you will let her rest.”

Dean nodded, chastened, but something still felt wrong about taking one of Hester’s eggs without telling her. She would have to feel it, somehow. That something created inside of her was missing. Would she forever feel a vague sense of loss? Dean shook his head to clear his thoughts, and stood. Missouri was right, Hester needed rest.

“Dean, wait,” Charlie called and followed him out into the hallway. “I know the situation isn’t… ideal. But we’re going to do the best we can for her and her clutch.”

“I know you will, Charlie,” Dean nodded and smiled. Hester was in good hands.

“Hey, what happened with Castiel earlier? Did Alastair show up?”

“Actually, yeah,” Dean replied. Charlie grimaced.

“What a slimeball.”

Dean laughed in agreement. That reminded him of the conversation he had with Ash earlier though, and he knew that now, more than ever, Castiel needed someone to guard him at night as well.

“Hey, do you know how I can get an appointment with Crowley?”

“Crowley?” Charlie looked suspicious, and Dean lifted his hands in a placating gesture.

“Yeah, I need to ask him about something.”

“You could try his office,” Charlie suggested. “Although from what I hear he’s almost never there. Believe me, Missouri is always trying to complain to him about the way the trappers treat the angels. He makes himself scarce.”

“Where is that?”

“You know where Becky’s desk is, in the entrance building?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded.

“Down the hallway behind there, although you’ll probably have to make an appointment.”

“Got it. Thanks, Charlie,” he smiled at her once more and turned to leave.

“Dean?” Charlie called out after him, and he stopped and looked back at her.

“Yeah?”

“Be careful. I can’t help but feel you’re putting yourself in the middle of something dangerous.”

“Don’t worry,” Dean grinned, “I can deal with a snake like Alastair.”


	7. Revealing Part 2

When Dean told Becky that he wanted to make an appointment with Crowley, she looked at him like he was crazy. 

“Seriously?” she said, raising an eyebrow and pinning him with an appraising stare. “Sorry, Dean, but I don’t think Crowley will want to see you.” 

“What? Why?” Dean couldn’t help but feel a bit offended at Becky’s dismissal. What was wrong with him?

“It’s not personal,” Becky quickly modified, blushing suddenly and winking suggestively before turning away. “You know that if it were me, you wouldn’t even have to make an appointment.” 

“Yeah, right,” Dean replied uncomfortably, trying to move the conversation along. “But seriously, this is _really_ important, Becky. So if you could just—“

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear!” 

Becky’s eyes widened as she swung her chair around to face the source of the voice, and Dean was surprised to see someone poking their head out of a door further down the hallway. The British accent, short stature and devilish grin meant it could only be one person. Crowley. 

“I—I didn’t even think you were _in_ today, sir,” Becky said. “I thought you were on vacation in Aruba?” 

“Don’t remind me,” Crowley lamented, sauntering up to the desk and giving Dean a once-over. “Ah ah ah, so you’re _the_ Dean?” 

“Um,” Dean looked at Becky for help, but she just shrugged, so he turned back to Crowley. “Yeah? That’s me. _The_ Dean.” 

“Your reputation precedes you,” Crowley said, lowering his head into a mock bow. “Did you actually come here to talk to me? I must say mate, I’m flattered.” 

“Can I see you now?” Dean asked, hopeful. This was even better than expected. Crowley chuckled and nodded. 

“Why don’t we move this to my office?” 

Dean nodded and followed the shorter man down the hallway. Eventually Crowley ushered him into a room adorned with extravagant furniture and motioned for him to take a seat in the leather chair that was facing the desk. _Crowley Mcleod_ was engraved into a gold nameplate, and Dean couldn’t help but get the feeling that this guy cared more about showing off than anything. 

“So,” Crowley began, taking a seat at the desk and pressing his fingers together in a gesture of curiosity. “What brings you to me today?” 

“I actually wanted to talk to you about scheduling,” Dean replied, scrambling to think of a good excuse for why he _needed_ to be allowed night clearance. He hadn’t expected to be able to talk to Crowley right away, and he was floundering for something to say. The shorter man frowned, and leaned back in his chair. 

“You’re an intern, right? So we don’t pay you?”

“Um, right.” Dean could see where this was going. He should have expected this would be a number’s game. Luckily, the fact that he didn’t cost the facility a dime should work in his favor. 

“So what is it, then?” Crowley turned to his computer screen and typed a few words onto the keypad. Dean realized he was probably pulling up his file. “Less hours? You have finals coming up or something?” 

“No, actually,” Dean quickly interjected. “I was wondering if I could… extend a few of my shifts.” 

“Extend?” Crowley raised his eyebrows at him and whistled low in his throat. “You’re already here almost full time, Winchester. You really think you can handle that?” 

“I’m working on a research proposal.” Dean was disturbed at how easily the lie rolled off his tongue. He would have to keep an eye on that. Crowley, however, didn’t look convinced. 

“Just admit it, Dean,” he leaned forward and lowered his voice to nearly a whisper. Dean leaned forward instinctively as well, wanting to catch his every word. “You’re just looking for an excuse to spend more time with our lovely little Alpha.” Dean’s eyes widened at Crowley’s words. How much did he know? Crowley continued speaking before Dean could figure out another lie though. “Oh don’t look at me like that kid. We all know that dearest Cas seems to have developed a bit of a soft spot for you.” 

“He—what?” Dean spluttered, still not comprehending. What was Crowley suggesting, anyways? Was there really talk about him going around? 

“Oh don’t look so surprised. He hasn’t spoken to anyone in two years, then suddenly you waltz in and it’s all ‘Dean, Dean, Dean’.” Crowley waggled an eyebrow at Dean. “Not that I can blame him. He isn’t the first one around here your stunning arse has caught the attention of.” 

Dean felt his mouth drop as he stared at Crowley in shock. He couldn’t believe the comments he was making to him! He was pretty sure Sam would be able to slap this guy with a sexual harassment lawsuit in two seconds flat if he had been listening to this. Crowley seemed to know what Dean was thinking, and if his amused chuckle was anything to go by he found it hilarious. 

“Oh calm down, princess. I don’t mean me. Darling Becky has been making bedroom eyes at you since I came out of my office.” 

Dean flushed with embarrassment and looked down. Crowlely, either oblivious or indifferent to his obvious discomfort, continued. 

“Now, I might be willing to let you have your way, but you’re going to have to do something for me.” 

“Huh?” Dean was startled. What could someone like him possibly do for someone like Crowley? 

“The bosses are getting a bit… antsy,” Crowley said. “They’re starting to wonder why we haven’t gotten more data on our specimens—specifically our most valuable specimen.” 

It didn’t take long for Dean to figure out that Crowley was referring to Castiel. He disliked the way the other man referred to them as ‘specimens’, but he held his tongue. He still needed Crowley’s approval. 

“Now, Dean, you seem like a smart lad,” Crowley continued. “I’m going to make you a deal. I’ll give you night clearance if you agree to report back to me on _everything_ our dear old Cas says or does while you’re observing him. Got it?” 

Dean frowned deeply. He didn’t like this deal. He was sure that if Castiel were here, he would be against it too. But… if he refused, then Castiel would be practically alone at night. Unprotected. With Alastair. He only had one choice, so he nodded his agreement. Crowley smiled. 

“Excellent,” Crowley said, typing something quickly into his computer. “I’d like you to start right away then. Oh, and remember,” he leaned closer to Dean and gave him a piercing stare, “this stays between us, got it?” 

What could he say? The deal felt dirty, but he had to do it for Castiel. After only a moment of hesitation he took Crowley’s outstretched hand and shook it. 

 

*~*

 

Dean left the facility with a strange mix of triumph and dread. He drove all the way to the Biggerson’s he was supposed to meet Sam and Jess at with a knot of anxiety growing in his stomach.

Sam and Jess were late, so Dean ordered a chocolate milkshake while he waited for them. They showed up right as he was about to give up and order a burger to quell the gnawing hunger in his gut, waiting be damned. After a few minutes the waiter came over and took their orders, and Dean hoped that the food didn’t take too long. Sam and Jess looked at each other nervously, then over at Dean. He was immediately suspicious. 

“What’s up with you two?” Dean asked, sipping at his milkshake and raising an eyebrow at them. 

“Sorry we were late,” Sam replied. Jess looked down at the table and began to fiddle with her engagement ring. 

“Okay, are you going to tell me why? What’s the big mystery?” 

“We just got back from a… meeting,” Jess said when Sam remained silent. “Sam was offered a legal internship working with a nonprofit.” 

“That’s great!” Dean grinned, slapping his brother’s shoulder from across the table. Sam gave him a small smile and nodded. 

“That isn’t all, is it?” Jess nudged Sam and motioned toward Dean. Sam sighed. 

“The thing is… It’s with F.A.A.” 

Dean stared at Sam in shock, not moving even when the water set his double bacon cheeseburger down in front of him and walked off to get the rest of the meals. Jess was looking between the two brothers anxiously, gauging Dean’s reactions. Dean looked down at his plate and gulped heavily, unsure of what to say. Finally, Sam broke the silence. 

“It’s not that big of a deal, Dean.”

“Not that big of a—Sam!” Dean was at a loss, unsure of how to respond to the fact that his brother was now representing the very people that were trying to destroy his career. 

“Dean, come on, you have to admit that things are messed up!” Jess said, putting a supportive hand on Sam’s shoulder. “You must have seen firsthand all of the cruel things they do to angels in captivity, you work at the biggest research facility in the country!” 

Dean didn’t reply, he was too busy trying to process this information in his mind. F.A.A., Free All Angels, was an angel rights group notorious for their often illegal—and sometimes violent—forms of protest. They seemed to be on the news at least every week, normally either fighting a lawsuit or starting one. 

“Dean,” Jess said, leaning forward with concern. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “I just—this is really sudden. I didn’t realize you two were such activists.” 

“We didn’t either,” Jess admitted, looking at Sam. “But when we saw some of the videos that have been leaked of the way angels are treated, and the first-hand accounts of former employees of these companies… It is hard to ignore something like that, Dean.” 

“I know,” Dean nodded, suddenly remembering what he had witnessed Alastair doing to Castiel. “I just—this isn’t going to be an issue with your work, right? Conflict of interest?” 

Sam shrugged and speared his salad with a fork. “I don’t care. I’m not asking you to quit, Dean, and I know you would never mistreat an angel. In fact, if you could help me out—“

“Sam!” Dean interjected, shocked. “You know I’m not allowed to—“

“I know, I know!” Sam quickly replied. “It’s just… you’re in a unique position there, Dean. You have access to information.” 

“Sam, I can’t,” Dean mumbled, feeling his appetite leave him. This conversation was vaguely reminiscent of the one he had with Crowley earlier that day. He was starting to get tired of being asked to spy for people. “Actually, I think I should leave. I have a lot to do tomorrow so—“

“Dean, I’m sorry,” Sam said quickly. “I shouldn’t have asked.” 

“No, you’re right.” Dean looked down at his nearly untouched burger, images of Alastair and Meg suddenly filling his head and making him feel sick to his stomach. “There are… a lot of things I didn’t expect.” 

Sam and Jess exchanged a look, and then Jess reached her hand out and gently placed it over Dean’s clenched fist. 

“Dean, it’s okay,” she soothed. “You don’t have to tell us anything, okay?” 

“I know,” Dean replied quietly. “But… I really should.” 

Sam’s eyes narrowed with concern as he leaned forward as well. He examined the faint bruise that was still slightly visible on Dean’s jawbone, then began to examine the rest of him as though expecting to find a fresh injury. “Dean? What happened? Did someone hurt you? Was it Alastair again?” 

“Sam—Shhh!” Dean shushed his brother, looking around nervously. “No one hurt me, okay? I’m just… worried. About Castiel.” 

“That’s the Alpha, right?” Jess asked. Sam nodded, suddenly nervous. No one was supposed to know that the facility actually had a captive Alpha. If they leaked it to F.A.A., it would inevitably come back to Dean. Jess seemed to sense his concern, because she spoke again quickly to put his mind at ease. “Don’t worry. We haven’t told anyone.” 

“His treatment has been pretty unethical,” Dean admitted, sudden anger flaring within him when he remembered how Castiel had not only been tortured by Alastair on a regular basis, but had been kept alone, cut off completely from his clan, for over two years. 

They continued their meals in silence, but Dean couldn’t stop the gnawing guilt that was building within him. 

 

*~*

 

Dean waited until late the next day to go back to the facility. Crowley had sent him an email earlier, pretty much demanding he start working evenings right away, so he slept in much later than usual. Gordon had apparently gotten the memo, because instead of giving him a hard time about being late, he looked at his badge and motioned him through.

Charlie was on her break when Dean wandered into the break room, and her face immediately lit up when she saw him. 

“Hey! Oversleep?” 

“Nope,” Dean grinned, stirring some cream into his coffee and sitting down at the table across from her. “I’ve got a new shift.” 

Charlie’s eyes widened as his words sunk in. “You actually managed to get ahold of Crowley?”

“Yup,” Dean nodded, propping his feet up on the table. Ellen glared at him from where she was talking to Benny across the room and he immediately lowered them again. “Night shifts twice a week, starting tonight.” 

“Sounds like you’ve been having a better day than we have,” Charlie mumbled, looking down at her own drink. 

“Why? What happened?” Dean felt his good mood melt away at the expression on Charlie’s face. He immediately thought of Hester, and assumed something must have happened with her or her eggs. Charlie must have read the horror on his face, because she quickly continued. 

“It’s nothing terrible—it’s just that Hester knows we took one of her eggs. She’s very upset.” 

“Oh…” Dean frowned, his heart aching for her. “Did you give it to Anna?” 

Charlie nodded and finished the last of her coffee. “That’s the one upside to this whole situation. She took to it immediately, won’t stop cradling it. Last I saw her, she was making a nest out of blankets to put it in.”

Dean couldn’t help but smile at the image. He had yet to meet Anna, but he had a feeling he would like her. Hopefully this would give her the motivation to keep on fighting. He wasn’t sure yet what her relationship to Castiel was, but based on the Alpha’s behavior when he mentioned her name, they had to be close. 

“What about Hester?” Dean continued, worried once more about the blonde angel. Charlie’s smile fell again into a frown. 

“She’s… upset. Understandably. She won’t let us anywhere near her other two eggs now.” 

“I can’t blame her,” Dean replied. “Do you really think Ion would have done something to the other one?”

“There’s really no way to know for sure,” Charlie said. “But it didn’t seem worth the risk.” 

“So, you’re here with Castiel all night?” she asked, quickly changing the subject. Dean grinned and nodded. “I can’t believe Crowley actually gave the OK.” 

“I was surprised too. Becky said he wasn’t even in, but then he poked his head out of his office and invited me in to talk.” 

“So that was it?” Charlie questioned, standing up and putting her mug into the small sink. “No questions asked?” 

Dean remembered the deal he had made with Crowley, and the promise he made not to mention it. He shook his head. “Yeah, guess he didn’t really care since he doesn’t have to pay me.” 

“Poor Dean, our little slave,” Charlie teased, shoving him playfully on the shoulder as she passed. “Hey, do you want to go get drinks at the Roadhouse sometime?” 

“You mean the bar Jo and Ellen run?” Dean asked, and Charlie seemed surprised.

“Know the place?” 

“Yeah.” 

“So, you game Winchester?” 

“Definitely,” he replied, and waved goodbye to Charlie as she made her way back to the clinic. He looked up at the clock, noticing that he still had a few minutes before he needed to start, and closed his eyes for a moment to relax. He nearly fell out of his chair when someone slapped him roughly on the back. 

“B-Benny?” He sputtered, nearly spilling his coffee. Benny grinned. 

“So, I hear you’re gonna start workin’ nights brother. Should we go tell Castiel?” 

Dean blushed and quickly looked down at his coffee. He knew the Alpha probably wouldn’t care, and might even be annoyed that someone was hanging around his enclosure at night as well, but he was excited to share the news. He nodded and followed Benny out of the room. 

“Castiel!” Benny called as they approached the bars. Dean looked around eagerly but frowned when he didn’t see Castiel anywhere in sight. Benny laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, he’s probably just up in the trees.”

Dean looked up into the thick foliage and scanned for anything that would give the Alpha away. Nothing. He was definitely good at hiding himself if he didn’t want to be seen. Benny sighed and turned to Dean. “Why don’t you try calling him?” 

“Me?” Dean asked, nervous. Benny nodded. Dean took a deep breath and looked back up into the trees. 

“Cas!” he called, voice faltering slightly with nerves. “Um, are you there?” 

Dean wasn’t sure what did the trick, but immediately the branches ruffled and the Alpha poked his head out to stare at them. His hard look softened slightly when his eyes fell on Dean, and he made quick work of gliding to the ground and positioning himself near the bars. Benny smiled at Dean with a knowing look in his eyes, and Dean pointedly ignored it.

“So, Castiel,” Benny began, and the Alpha reluctantly tore his eyes away from Dean and glared at Benny. “Dean has something to tell you.” 

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Dean mumbled, looking down as Castiel turned back to him curiously. 

“Dean’s gonna be here nights now.” 

Dean looked up, still unnerved by the piercing gaze that Castiel had directed at him. It wasn’t threatening, or even challenging, but it still made him shiver for some reason he couldn’t identify. He tried to read the Alpha’s expression for any hint that he was angry, but he saw nothing but open curiosity and a hint of something else he couldn’t interpret.

“It’s about time for me to leave, brother,” Benny said, drawing Dean out of his focus on Castiel. “Remember, if Alastair even gets near here, you call me. Got it?” 

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, not failing to notice that Castiel’s wings tensed at the mention of the scientist’s name. Benny seemed to notice as well, and he turned to Castiel before he left. 

“You watch out for him, you hear?” Benny addressed the Alpha, giving him a stern glare that surprised Dean. Castiel seemed mildly irritated that Benny was trying to give him orders, but he refrained from a full display. Benny seemed satisfied. 

“Remember, Dean. If you even see Alastair, _call me_.” 

Dean watched Benny leave before turning back to Castiel. The sky had turned orange with the setting sun, and the Alpha had wandered away from the bars to crouch at the small stream. Dean sat on the steps and stared as the angel began methodically grooming his wings. He seemed completely at ease, not the slightest hint of agitation or aggression in his posture. 

Dean pulled out his sketchbook and began to jot notes on it while he observed the Alpha. Occasionally Castiel would turn to look at him over his shoulder, then ruffle his wings to disperse the water droplets. It was amazing how much more glossy they looked after only a couple of treatments this way. 

The sun continued to set, and Dean was surprised that there were relatively few lights around the enclosures. Small ground lights lined the path, but Castiel’s enclosure was almost completely shrouded in darkness. Only a small patch of ground, near the bars and the guard rail, was illuminated. Dean scooted closer to try and make out Castiel’s form near the river, but it was difficult to see anything more than a faint silhouette. 

When Castiel finished grooming his wings, the sun had set completely and the darkness was even more profound. He scooted forward even more, a feeling of slight unease beginning to settle over him. He looked back into the enclosure, pondering on if he should ask the Alpha to move closer, but was surprised when he saw that Castiel was already perched in the small patch of light near the bars. Dean gulped, forcing himself to fight the urge to jump back. He wasn’t close enough to be in reach, but he was a lot closer than normal. He could see every detail of Castiel’s newly groomed wings. The Alpha fixed him with a curious stare, eyes trailing across his face and coming to rest on his still-bruised jaw. 

Dean was unsure of what Castiel wanted, but unwilling to ask. The angel continued to stare for what felt like several minutes, and finally reached a hesitant hand out. Dean looked down at it, his heart beginning to thump loudly, then back up at the Alpha. It was obvious what he wanted. But he couldn’t. He wasn’t that stupid… right?

He looked more closely at Castiel, trying to gauge his body language. His wings were set low and wide, which meant friendly and unthreatening.

“Dean,” Castiel said, and Dean’s eyes widened. He was speaking to him again. He looked back down at Castiel’s outstretch arm, and then at his unthreatening posture, and made a decision that he knew he would probably come to regret. Without allowing himself to overthink it, he reached his hand out and placed it hesitantly in the Alpha’s. 

Castiel closed his fingers around Dean’s wrist, and he figured he was done for. Game over. He fell for the trap. He clenched his eyes shut and prepared himself for the feel of bones twisting and flesh tearing. Instead, he felt only a gentle pressure as a sense of calm overcame him and the dull ache in his jaw slowly lessened and then seemed to vanish altogether. He opened his eyes slowly, still in shock, and stared into the deep blue of Castiel’s. 

“Cas?” he whispered, the gentle energy running through him making him feel lethargic and content. Castiel smiled, actually _smiled_ at him, and reluctantly let go. The vague tiredness and calm seemed to lift, but the pain in his jaw was still absent. 

“Dean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading! Next chapter should be up soon-- and let's just say things start to really get interesting. ;). I hope you are all still enjoying this story. Thank you or sticking with it. (Also, if you have any questions about the world or the characters, you can ask me either in the comments or at my tumblr: the-greatest-escapist.tumblr.com . I love talking about stuff related to fic so please don't be shy)


	8. Hurting

“Hey, Dean, you okay?”

“Huh?” Dean snapped his eyes open and jerked his head up as Charlie’s voice broke him out of his dazed stupor. The redhead was peering down at him with a mix of concern and irritation. 

“Did you hear anything I just said?” 

“Uh—sorry,” Dean mumbled. He yawned loudly and shook his head rapidly to try and dispel the heavy fatigue that still hung onto him like a particularly determined leech. He had been much too amped up after coming home that morning from his night with Castiel to even think about sleeping before his afternoon shift. Now, he was regretting it. “Really tired.”

“I bet,” Charlie grinned, situating herself in the chair next to him and stealing a bite from his untouched bag of trail mix. Benny sighed and sat down across from them, looking just as tired as Dean felt. 

“Hey,” Dean said. Benny grunted in acknowledgment and leaned back in his chair. “What’s up with you?” 

Benny didn’t respond, just reached across the table and stole a handful of Dean’s snacks. Charlie gave him a sympathetic frown. 

“He’s been working all day trying to get Hester back,” Charlie explained. “Unfortunately, she’s not being very cooperative.” 

“It’s because of the egg, isn’t it?” Dean’s heart sank. Hester was going to resent them the rest of her life. 

“Yeah,” Charlie nodded. Benny shook his head grimly and checked his watch. 

“Chuck is with her now,” Charlie continued. “She likes him more than any of us, but we aren’t sure if that’s going to be enough.” 

“Maybe the egg would be okay?” Dean stared down at the table. “Is there any way you could try it, see how she reacts?” 

“Not now.” Charlie crossed her arms. “Anna has become rather attached. Taking it away from her isn’t really an option at this point.” 

“Do you need any help?” Dean offered, and Benny looked up at him with surprise. 

“Now that you mention it… we could use an extra set of hands.” 

“Wait— is that safe?” Charlie looked worried. “Dean doesn’t have any kind of training with handling angels, especially angry ones. They could rip him to shreds.” 

“Don’t worry about that. If he just drives, Chuck and I can handle the rest.”

“I can do that,” Dean said, leaning forward eagerly. Despite being an intern for over a month, he had yet to actually observe how the angels interacted in a group environment. Benny nodded. 

“Good to see you’re eager.” He looked at his watch once more, and then stood up. “Come on then, don’t want to keep Chuck waiting. We need to get this finished before dark.” 

Dean followed Benny out of the break room and toward the enclosures. Charlie seemed worried about him, but he assured her that he would be fine. Sure, he was sorta nervous, but he wasn’t about to miss out on an opportunity like this. 

“Remember, Hester is real upset,” Benny warned as they approached her small enclosure. Dean could see Chuck’s white coat inside, his arms opened in a placating gesture. As they got closer, Dean could see that he was standing in front of a nervous-looking Hester, her body and wings stretched protectively over the large blue eggs that were leaning against one another in the makeshift nest. He gulped heavily and hung back as Benny made his way slowly forward. 

“Chuck?” He called out hesitantly, and Chuck looked over his shoulder at him in relief. 

“I think she’s ready,” he said, looking back to Hester and nodding encouragingly at her. Her eyes flickered from Chuck to Benny, and finally to Dean. They were guarded, but not outright aggressive. It was progress. 

Benny motioned for Dean to approach, and he quickly stepped forward. Hester’s wings drew back as he got closer, ready to fight, but they relaxed visibly when Chuck placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Chuck’s gift with angels was truly amazing; he didn’t have any social skills to speak of when it came to humans. 

Chuck continued to soothe Hester as Benny approached and placed a thick, metal collar around her neck. It looked to be made of a similar material to Castiel’s, and he felt an instant negative reaction when he saw it. Sure, angels were dangerous, but Hester knew they weren’t trying to hurt her. Was it really necessary? 

“Dean, get the Jeep,” Benny called over his shoulder, and Dean nodded dumbly. He looked around for a second, and then made his way to the beat-up white vehicle a couple of hundred feet away. The keys were in the ignition, thankfully, and he quickly turned it on and eased it toward Hester’s enclosure. 

The sound of the engine made Hester flinch back nervously, one of her wings darting out to cover her eggs, but then she relaxed when Chuck continued his soothing whispers and gentle touches. Benny slowly eased the gate open, and ushered her and Chuck toward the Jeep. Dean panicked for a moment, unsure of where exactly they were going to put Hester, but relaxed when she went into the bed with Chuck. 

Benny jumped in next to Dean holding what appeared to be an extremely large gun, and the latter balked at him in shock. 

“Oh don’t look at me like that, brother,” Benny laughed. “It’s just tranqs. I’m not expecting any of them to act up, but if they do, we need to be able to defend ourselves.” 

Dean gulped heavily and nodded, still not feeling good about the situation. Benny motioned for him to start driving, and Dean turned the ignition on with shaking fingers. Benny directed him onto a dirt path that ran parallel to the large fence, and eventually told him to stop next to a gate. He told Dean the code, and Dean punched it in carefully. The gate slowly opened, and they drove slowly into the enclosure. 

Dean could barely keep his eyes on the road in front of him, he was too fascinated by what he saw. For the first few minutes of driving, there was nothing but vegetation and the occasionally startled bird, but eventually they reached a large grove of Ash trees. Angels crouched on the branches, peering down at them with trepidation and suspicion. Benny tightened his grip on the tranquilizer gun and nodded again for Dean to go forward. 

In the bed of the Jeep, Hester was beginning to make small whining noises from the back of her throat. Chuck did his best to soothe her, going as far as to run a soft hand through her hair, but her distress only seemed to grow. Eventually Benny raised his hand for Dean to stop, and hopped out cautiously. The angels above were still staring down at them, chattering to one another in lightning-fast Enochian that Dean didn’t have to understand to know was hateful. 

Chuck helped Hester out of the bed, and she looked back into the Jeep at her eggs in a panic. When she caught sight of the pale blue, nestled in soft blankets, she let out a loud sigh of relief and immediately scrambled to collect them. One at a time, she cradled them close to her chest and flew to a low-hanging branch that housed her elaborate nest. She tucked them in gently next to one another, then entered the nest herself and covered them with her wings as she huddled close. 

Dean could feel his heart warming as he watched the tender display of love that Hester was showering on her eggs. He looked around the treetops, scanning for any trace of Ion, but was surprised to find that Hester’s mate was nowhere in sight. From what he knew about angel behavior, he expected the dominant to be there immediately. Hester didn’t seem bothered by his absence. If anything, she looked more content than he had seen her in a while. 

From a couple of trees away, Dean’s eyes caught sight of a familiar face. Inias, the angel with the broken wing from the medical center, was edging toward Hester’s tree with a look of determination and worry on his face. Dean held his breath, scared for the young submissive. Hester would no doubt want to protect her nest from any over-eager onlookers, and Inias still looked like he was recovering from his fight with Ion previously. 

He considered calling out a warning, but Chuck placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder and shook his head. Dean looked at him, confused, then back up to where Inias was edging even closer to Hester and her eggs. Hester looked over at him, and instead of defensive or aggressive posturing, her wings stretched low and wide in greeting and excitement as though she wanted to rush to him if not for her position guarding her eggs. 

Inias smiled widely at Hester’s acknowledgement, and glided from his tree to hers without any difficulty. He touched down lightly, and immediately rushed toward her and her nest. She let out a keen of happiness as he entered the nest and wrapped his arms and wings around her affectionately, looking down at the eggs with equal tenderness. 

“Guess we know where that pink egg came from,” Benny mumbled, getting back into the Jeep and signally Dean to turn on the motor. He did, still stunned, and turned the Jeep around so they could leave. He caught a brief flash of Ion on the way out, seemingly oblivious to Hester’s arrival, whispering seductively and fluttering his wings at a young female angel with soft brown wings that were spotted with white and grey. 

*~*

Dean didn’t get a chance to visit Castiel again until several nights later. The Alpha looked quite happy to see him, if the small twitch at the corner of his lips as he gently ruffled his wings was anything to go by. Dean felt a strange warmth in his chest at the sight. Nothing could lift his mood like seeing Castiel. 

He sat in front of the guard rail today, much closer than normal. Castiel eventually wandered close to the bars to sunbathe, although still far enough away that Dean didn’t feel nervous about his proximity to the barrier. 

They sat in silence for a while, the Alpha watching him curiously while Dean took notes on his wing positions and sunning behaviors. For the most part, he was consistent with regular angels in terms of body language and habits, but there were some irregularities. For example, Dean still couldn’t understand the purpose of him fluffing his wings and ruffling his feathers every time he caught the Alpha’s eye. 

“Hester laid her clutch,” Dean finally said, setting his sketchbook aside and drawing his knees up to his chest to watch as Castiel began to groom. The Alpha looked up at him sadly, and Dean could tell from his expression that he wanted to know more. 

“Her eggs are fine,” he continued. “But I’m kinda worried. Ion was nowhere to be found when we took her back home.” 

Dean didn’t miss the way that Castiel’s eyes narrowed and his shoulders tensed as soon as he heard Ion’s name. Maybe he wasn’t very popular. 

“I guess I’m confused though,” Dean sighed. “I thought angels mated for life.” 

He didn’t really expect a response from Castiel, so he wasn’t too disappointed when he didn’t get one. The Alpha looked sympathetic though, and that was more than he could have hoped for. 

“We think one of her eggs may have been Inias’,” Dean said cautiously. He wasn’t sure how Castiel would react to the knowledge that they took one of Hester’s eggs and gave it to another angel. “We were worried that Ion might reject it… destroy it.” 

Castiel seemed more interested now, and he fidgeted nervously as he drew closer to the bars. He wanted to know what happened. It was obvious. 

“He didn’t,” Dean quickly reassured him, and Castiel visibly relaxed. “The egg is fine—we actually gave it to Anna.” 

Dean wasn’t expecting the reaction that seemed to provoke from the Alpha. Within the space of a single second, Castiel went from calm to outrage. His eyes flashed angrily as his wings flared, and Dean knew with a sinking feeling that his ire actually _was_ directed at him this time. 

“Cas—“ Dean began, trying to calm the Alpha. He just needed a chance to explain that it was the only way. Castiel seemed unwilling to give it to him, however, and he lunged forward threateningly before Dean had a chance to even try. Dean scrambled to his feet quickly, barely making it back to the safety of the guardrail before Castiel himself was at the bars, wings still flared and eyes still flashing with fury. 

“Cas—“ Dean tried again, voice pleading, but the Alpha just snarled over him. Dean was shocked at the sound, and tripped as he stumbled back, barely managing to catch himself on the rail. His heart was thundering. In this moment, more than any other, the Alpha truly looked as though he wanted to rip him to shreds given half the chance. 

Dean forced himself to pick up his backpack with shaking hands, but didn’t even attempt to retrieve the sketchbook that was still lying open-faced directly in front of the bars of Castiel’s enclosure. He tried to avoid looking at him as he quickly retreated from the enraged Alpha. 

*~*

“Well good afternoon, Dean.” 

Dean felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle up at the familiar, slimy voice behind him. Alastair either didn’t notice the way his shoulders tensed or he didn’t care, because he proceeded to sit _right_ next to him and stir his coffee slowly while giving Dean the seediest smile he had ever seen. 

“What the hell do you want?” Dean said, voice tight. He looked around the break room frantically, but was dismayed to find that he was alone. With Alastair.

“Now now, that isn’t very polite,” Alastair replied. “And here I thought we had grown so _close_.” 

“Sorry, not after what you did to Cas,” Dean stated firmly. “I _will_ find a way to get you fired, and preferably locked in jail.” 

“Oh, my,” Alastair mocked, putting his hand to his chest in a parody of hurt. “That isn’t very polite.” 

“Good,” Dean grumbled. “It wasn’t meant to be.” 

“You are a very rude boy,” Alastair said casually. “Someone needs to teach you some manners. What do your parents think?” 

“Not much,” Dean shot back. “They’re dead.” 

“Obviously,” Alastair raised his eyebrows condescendingly and sipped his coffee. “And considering that you call that _beastly_ angel your friend—” 

“—Hey, don’t talk about Cas that way.” 

“Apologies. Apologies,” Alastair said with fake remorse. “I forget how disgustingly attached you are to that specimen.”  


“He isn’t a _specimen_ ,” Dean snapped, finally having enough and pushing away from the table and Alastair. “And you better watch it, because I _will_ find a way to burn you and your career to the ground. And believe me, when I make a promise, I keep it.” 

“I’m looking forward to it,” Alastair smiled, his lips curling into a sneer. 

*~*

“Hey Cas,” Dean said hesitantly as he approached the enclosure that evening. Castiel was at the river drinking when he approached. His head immediately shot up, and his eyes narrowed when he saw that it was Dean. He immediately turned away, his back to the intern. Dean tried not to be hurt. 

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he offered as he sat down safely behind the guard rail. “I take it you’re upset about Hester’s egg situation. If you would just talk to me—“

Dean didn’t get a chance to finish before Castiel spread his wings and took flight to the canopy. He obviously had zero interest in listening to what Dean had to say. Dean watched him as he disappeared behind the foliage, his heart sinking. He still didn’t understand what they had done wrong, but apparently it was bad. 

The sun set slowly as Dean stared into the seemingly empty enclosure. He looked down to where he left his sketchbook the previous night, wondering if it was still there. With Castiel in the canopy, it would be the perfect opportunity to snatch it back from where it had been left near the bars. Unfortunately, even after several minutes of searching, it was nowhere in sight. Weeks of notes and sketches, gone. Crowley was going to be so pissed.

“Well hello Dean. Fancy seeing you here.” 

Dean tensed instinctively as he looked over his shoulder at Alastair’s approaching figure. The scientist wasn’t alone, either. He was flanked on either side by Tom, a lab technician Dean had spoken to a handful of times, and someone else that Dean didn’t recognize. They didn’t look like they were here for a friendly chat. Dean looked back into the enclosure for a moment, but Castiel was still nowhere in sight. Good. Dean hoped he stayed in the safety of the canopy. 

“You do realize there are cameras, right?” Dean asked, trying to make his voice steady as Alastair continued to approach. 

“Ash isn’t doing security tonight,” Tom laughed, and Dean gulped. He figured that meant that whoever _was_ was firmly in their pocket. 

“You better leave me alone, you son of a bitch,” Dean snarled, reaching into his pocket for his phone. Benny promised he would come as soon as he called him. 

“Now now, that was _quite_ rude, Dean,” Alastair chided. “You know, I really did like you. But you are becoming _quite_ the liability.” 

Dean felt his fingers tremble slightly at the open threat. He knew now that they didn’t just come to harass him. They wanted to get rid of him. He stepped back a couple of feet, and tried to pull his phone out of his pocket. Alastair looked at Tom and nodded, and immediately he ran forward and grabbed Dean’s wrist so roughly that his phone clattered to the ground. Alastair kicked it several feet away as he approached. 

Dean may have been caught off guard, but he knew how to fight. Tom let out a startled yelp of pain as Dean twisted the arm that was holding him roughly and dropped to the ground to crawl away. Alastair hissed and ordered the other man to grab him. Dean looked around frantically for his phone, but was dismayed to see that it had tumbled under the guard rail and rolled down into the enclosure. 

“Excellent, Dean,” Alastair sneered. “I would have been _very_ disappointed if you didn’t put up a fight.” 

“What, you think you can just kill me and get away with it?” Dean panted as he evaded a punch from his assailant and managed to elbow him in the ribs. The man groaned in pain and dropped to his knees. Alastair just kept smiling. 

“Oh, dear. I knew you weren’t very bright, but you haven’t figured it out yet?” 

“Figured _what_ out?” Dean shot, facing Alastair with fists raised. 

“I have no intention of killing you, Dean.” He gestured toward the enclosure. “I think I know exactly who to get to do my dirty work.” 

“Cas?” Dean asked, dumbfounded. 

“Everyone knows how… obsessed you are with that Alpha. Going so far as to call him your _friend_.” Alastair sneered at him. “No one will be surprised that you decided to test your luck, sure that your sweet, gentle Cas wouldn’t lay a finger on you.” 

“That’s not going to happen,” Dean snapped. “I’m not stupid enough to—“

Dean stumbled forward, dazed, as something large and blunt struck him from behind. Colors swirled and danced before his eyes as he felt someone roughly grab him from underneath his arms and begin dragging… somewhere. His vision slowly began to clear as he realized they were next to the control box, and Alastair was getting ready to turn the dial. The same one that had hurt Castiel before. 

He forced himself to focus and lashed out at his captor. Tom cried out in surprise and dropped him as Dean’s fist made contact with the underside of his jaw. He still felt dizzy—unbalanced—but forced himself to stand on shaking legs. 

The next blow was much harder than the first, and he didn’t even realize he had been hit until he was already on the ground. He could taste the faint tang of blood on his tongue as he groped blindly forward. His vision was no longer bursting with color, but instead began to go black around the edges as he writhed around in a futile effort to escape. 

He was vaguely away of someone grabbing him roughly around the waist and hauling him to his feet, but he was too weak to stand on his own and he collapsed against them unwillingly. Muffled laughs and the distant sound of electricity buzzing and someone crying out in pain were all he could comprehend. He could feel something warm and liquid trickling down the back of his neck, and he was sure that it was blood. Probably his own. 

“—him in—“

“He won’t—two min—“

“tear—othing left—“ 

The arms holding him up tightened suddenly, and he could feel himself being lifted and shoved. It felt tight. The hands around his waist were replaced with ones around his legs and feet, and all he knew was that he was being _pushed_. Where? He didn’t know. No, he knew. He couldn’t remember. 

“—out of –re”

“—ne for”

He felt himself make contact with something, probably the ground, head first as he fell. The voices were becoming fainter and fainter, but so was everything else. He was ambiguously conscious of something—or someone—turning him over onto his back as they shook him gently. He tried to tell them to stop, that it hurt, but his tongue felt like lead and he couldn’t remember how the words went. The darkness around the edges began to encompass everything, and the last thing he saw before it all faded to black was bright blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not having this posted on Saturday! I had a really bad tummy ache and ended up going to bed before I could finish. :C There are probably some spelling mistakes, but those will be fixed later, after my beta looks it over. Thanks for continuing to read! <3 
> 
> ((My tumblr url changed from The-Greatest-Escapist to KissKissCastiel. Just an fyi for any followers. <3 love you all bunch and bunches. Remember, if you have any questions about this story or anything in general don't ever hesitate to ask))


	9. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: Non-graphic depiction of vomiting

_Dean_

_Dean, wake up_

**_Dean_ **

Dean wasn’t sure who was talking, but he knew it hurt and the world didn’t make sense anymore. The sharp pain in the back of his head had faded to a dull throb, but his body still felt so  _heavy_  that he could barely muster the strength to open his eyes. He felt those hands again—the same ones that had shaken him earlier—cup the back of his head where the  _pain_  was. He wanted to cry out, tell them to stop, but once again the words escaped him.

_Dean!_

The voice was much more forceful now, and he finally realized that the familiar sound he kept hearing was his name. He forced his eyes open, _clawed_  his way from the depths of unconsciousness to find out who kept calling out to him.

“Cas?” he slurred, more confused than anything as the blurred figure that was crouched over him slowly took a familiar shape. He felt the angel’s hand cup his head more firmly, and the other gripped his shoulder tightly and pulled him carefully into a sitting position. Immediately, the world began to spin and he let out a short gasp of dismay as his vision went blurry and dark.

He felt hands—Castiel’s hands—lower him once more onto the soft earth and soon after press something cold and wet to his forehead. The ache was beginning to fade, and after several minutes of sitting motionless, the dizziness started to dissipate as well. When he opened his eyes again, the Alpha was peering down at him, a concerned look etched onto his features.

“Cas, what—“ he tried again, but the angel quickly cut him off.

“—Dean, please. Be silent.”

Dean stared at Castel, mouth agape. He had to be in the hold of some intense fever dream. There was no way that Castiel would ever be  _this_ close to him without tearing him to shreds, and there was no way he would be  _talking_  to him. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths, then slowly cracked them open again. The angel was still there. He must have hit his head harder than he thought.

“Benny will be here at sunrise to make his “rounds”,” Castiel continued, his face scrunching up in slight confusion at the term, oblivious to the growing panic and disbelief of the human in front of him. “He can take you to a—what is it you humans call it?”

Dean had no idea what Castiel was talking about, he was too worried about the fact that there was a very powerful Alpha angel with a record of violence against humans not more than a foot away from him, and even if he weren’t injured he wouldn’t stand a chance at defending himself. He tried to force himself into a sitting position again, or at least something less vulnerable than lying prone and defenseless on what felt like a bed of leaves and soft grass. As soon as he began to rise, however, the dizzying ache once again overtook him and he collapsed back down with a frustrated groan.

Castiel obviously noticed the change in Dean’s demeanor, because his eyes narrowed with concern. “Dean?”

“What’re you waiting for?” he managed to ask, his voice raw from fear and resignation. Castiel tilted his head to the side, obviously confused. After a moment of silence, he nodded with understanding.

“You’re wondering why I haven’t healed you yet.”

“….what?” Dean questioned. Was he toying with him? Maybe it was more stimulating for Castiel to try and lull him into a false sense of security first. Still, even his addled mind could tell that none of the body language he had observed so far was anywhere approaching aggressive, or even angry. If anything, the low set of the Alpha’s wings and the way his shoulders slouched slightly to make himself appear less threatening was evidence of the exact opposite. He acted more like a concerned parent taking care of a sick fledgling than an aggressor about to attack.

“I wanted to,” Castiel continued, looking down for a moment at the large limiters around his wrists with remorse. “Unfortunately, your injuries are far more extensive than a simple bruise.”

Dean didn’t reply. He was still trying to process what Castiel was saying. He tried to remember what happened before he woke up, but there seemed to be a black hole in his memory; he couldn’t recall no matter how hard he tried.  Castiel looked at him sympathetically.

“You should rest. “

“’M fine,” Dean mumbled, but even he realized how unconvincing that sounded. Castiel had the courtesy not to call him out on it however, and instead turned away and began to fiddle with something that, after a moment, Dean recognized as his phone.

“Hey! Where the hell did you get that!” Dean tried again to sit up, but his body had other ideas and he felt himself begin to feel faint again. Castiel quickly returned to his side and pushed him back down to the grass insistently. He had a look of frustration on his face.

“Dean, stop moving.”

Dean immediately went still and Castiel let go of his shoulders, satisfied that he wasn’t going to try and move again. The angel held up the battered phone, and Dean winced at the large cracks covering the entire screen.

“You humans use these to communicate?” Castiel asked.

“Yeah,” Dean conceded. “But I doubt it’s gonna work now.”

Castiel frowned deeply and glared at the phone. Dean sighed and reached his hand out expectantly. The angel hesitated for a moment, but eventually placed the shattered device into the human’s open hand. Dean lifted his head slightly and pressed a button on the side repeatedly. Nothing. He groaned in frustration and tossed it to the side.

“What’s wrong?” Castiel asked, alarmed.

“’S broken,” Dean grumbled. “You owe me dude. I just got that.”

“I assure you, that’s the way I found it,” Castiel growled, obviously offended by Dean’s accusations. “If you hadn’t been so  _careless_ , Alastair would not have—“

“—Alastair!” Dean gasped, memories beginning to take shape in his mind. Castiel leaned forward, worried, but Dean was too busy trying to fight the growing panic that rose within him as he remembered the events that had led to his current predicament. He remembered being grabbed and _hit_. Hard. “Is he still here? Did he—“

“He’s gone, Dean. Relax,” Castiel urged, pressing him gently back down into the bed of leaves. Dean was trying, but it was hard to relax now that the full gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in. He looked up at the Alpha. He was finally beginning to accept the fact that Castiel didn’t seem intent on causing him harm, at least right now. The angel placed one of his palms over Dean’s forehead, and it took all of the Dean’s willpower not to flinch away in fright.

Castiel frowned and shook his head. Dean wanted to ask what was wrong, but before he could the Alpha moved away and out of sight. He was alone in the darkness of the enclosure.

“Cas?” he croaked after a minute, suddenly unsure. He heard the angel shuffling around, and then return once more at his side.

“You’re too hot,” Castiel offered by way of explanation, pressing a cool, wet piece of fabric against Dean’s head. He must have gone to wet it in the river.

“Gee, thanks,” Dean joked, trying desperately to find a way to make light of the situation. “I mean I know I’m attractive but—“

“Hush,” Castiel murmured, holding the cloth against Dean’s head for a moment longer before moving it back where the  _pain_  was. Dean hissed reflexively as the cold water stung the open wound, and when the angel pulled it back he was dismayed to see it was completely soaked in his blood. Castiel’s frown, if possible, deepened. “You’re still bleeding.”

“No, really?” Dean winced, his wound still throbbing from where Castiel had aggravated it.

“Yes. Really.”

Dean wanted to laugh at how ridiculous this whole situation was. Not only was Castiel actually  _talking_  to him, in that deep voice that was surprisingly adept considering he was not speaking in his native Enochian, he was almost positive they had just shared some strange kind of joke. Unfortunately, his sudden amusement also gave rise to a wave of nausea, and he clenched his eyes shut as tightly as he could to try and will it away. His head wasn’t just throbbing now, it was  _burning_ , and his vision was practically exploding with color even behind his tightly closed lids.

He was vaguely aware of Castiel gripping his shoulders and turning him onto his side before he finally succumbed to the sick feeling in his belly. Even through the haze of pain and delirium, he still felt a slight wave of embarrassment at the fact he had probably just gotten sick all over himself and the angel. He wanted to apologize, but the ache within him was too strong and he was beginning to feel a deep well of confusion about where he was and what he was doing.

“Dean?” He heard Castiel ask, his voice laced with desperate concern.

“Cas,” Dean somehow managed to choke out before retching again. He felt so  _sick_ , sicker than he ever had before, and it was getting worse. His head was going to split in two. His vision was starting to go dark again and soon even the sound of his name faded. The last thing he felt before falling completely into unconsciousness again was someone’s frantic touch.

~*~

Dean woke up in a sterile white room with a pounding headache and a gurgling stomach. He panicked for a moment, unsure of where he was, before relaxing back into the bedding.  _Hospital_. That meant he was alive. To be honest, he was somewhat surprised.

Eventually a nurse came, seemingly relieved that he was finally awake. The nurse explained briefly that he’d suffered a severe concussion with a fractured skull, but that he was now in stable condition. Dean nodded absentmindedly, strangely unaffected by the news. The nurse eventually asked him if he was up for visitors. He was. Within moments of the nurse’s exit, a pair of joyfully familiar faces appeared in the doorway.

“Dean!”

“Hey, Sammy.” Dean smiled as his brother entered the room. Jess followed right behind the younger Winchester, and they both had looks of absolute terror painted on their faces. If the circumstances were any different, Dean would say it was hilarious.

“Dean, what the hell were you thinking?” Sam practically shouted, and Dean winced. He still had a dull headache, and the loud noise was not helping.

“Sam, listen—“

“You promised, Dean! You said you wouldn’t put yourself in danger!”

“What was I supposed to do?” Dean shot back, patience finally beginning to wear thin. “Just let Alastair do whatever he wanted to Cas?”

“Yeah, Dean. Maybe,” Sam replied, looking at Jess as she gripped his hand in a gesture of comfort. Sam squeezed his eyes shut and took several deep breaths, and Dean gulped heavily. His brother was obviously upset. He felt terrible for snapping at him.

“Sam, I’m sorry,” Dean began. “But I couldn’t just let him hurt—“

“Dean, you just—you and Jess are the only family I have now,” Sam continued. “You’re not just my brother, okay? Growing up, you were my mother  _and_  my father, too.”

“Sam,” Dean whispered, his heart clenching painfully.

“Don’t you get it? If something happened to you—“

“—Nothing’s going to happen to me,” Dean cut in, forcing himself into a sitting position. “I’m  _fine_ , see?”

“You could have died,” Sam said, incredulous. “Your skull was fractured! You were in surgery for over—“

“Sam, I’m  _fine_.”

“Dean, we’re just worried,” Jessica chimed in, speaking for the first time since entering the room. She held a bouquet of white daisies and a small green bear that obviously came from the hospital’s gift shop. “They said you were in critical condition. They wouldn’t even let us see you when we got here.”

“They said—they said your fever was nearly 105,” Sam whispered, and Dean’s eyes widened slightly. He remembered Castiel saying he was hot. He wasn’t joking. “Neurogenic. They didn’t know if they were going to be able to bring it down.”

Dean once again found himself wracked with guilt. Sam probably thought he was going to die. Hell, Dean was surprised he hadn’t. No wonder his brother was so angry.

“Benny and Charlie are in the waiting room. They’ve been here all night,” Jess said, drawing Dean’s attention to her. He blinked for a moment, confused. When had he been brought in?

“You’ve been out for a while, Dean,” Sam said in answer to his silent question. “Benny found you early yesterday.”

“What about Cas?” Dean asked suddenly, dread clenching tightly in his gut. “He didn’t do anything. If they think he’s the one that hurt me, they’ll—“

“You’ll have to ask Benny,” Sam shook his head. “All we know is that he found you unconscious in that angel’s enclosure.”

“It was Alastair,” Dean spat, suddenly infuriated. “I was onto him, and he wanted me gone. Figured he could get Cas to do his dirty work.”

Sam and Jess looked at each other, frowning, and then back to Dean. After a moment, Sam spoke. “We assumed it was. …But Dean, we don’t have any  _proof_. The cameras had some kind of malfunction. Nothing from last night was actually recorded.”

“He set that up, Sam!”

“I believe you,” Sam reassured him. “But right now, it’s your word against his.”

“Cas,” Dean immediately said. Sam frowned.

“Excuse me?”

“Cas saw the whole thing. He’ll talk. I know he will.”

“I don’t know, Dean,” Sam frowned. “He hasn’t talked in two years, right?”

“Oh he can talk,” Dean replied, remembering their conversation in the Alpha’s enclosure. “And believe me, he hates Alastair.”

Sam didn’t look convinced, but Jess at least appeared somewhat hopeful. She put the flowers in a vase on the bed stand and set the small green bear next to it. Dean thought it was really cheesy, but it was a nice thought. Almost immediately after she placed them, the nurse came back with a Dixie cup full of foul-tasting pills that Dean was grudgingly forced to swallow.

“How are you feeling?” the nurse asked as he began writing Dean’s vitals down on his chart. Dean shrugged, looking over at Sam and Jess.

“Fine. A bit dizzy I guess, but nothing serious.”

“Any disorientation, memory loss or nausea?”

“Not now,” Dean replied, remembering his episode in Castiel’s enclosure with a fresh wave of embarrassment.

“Where’s the doctor?” Sam asked, and Dean groaned. The nurse cocked an eyebrow at him as he pulled out a paper pamphlet and handed it to Dean with a pen.

“Busy. She’ll be here to check on him soon.”

“Dude, do I get to eat now?” Dean asked eagerly as he flipped through the pamphlet. There were several different meals with a small box next to each. He’d been starving since he woke up.

“Just mark what you’d like, and it should be brought up shortly.”

“Sweet,” Dean grinned. Unfortunately there was no burger, but he quickly made checkmarks next to a turkey club and a cherry smoothie. The nurse took the pamphlet and left. Sam stared after him with distaste.

“Your doctor hasn’t been around for a couple of hours. She really should be checking on you more—“

“Sam, come on. I’m awesome,” Dean tried to reassure him. Sam frowned. He looked like he wanted to argue, but stopped at the sound of the door slowly opening as a familiar redhead poked her head inside.

“Charlie?” Dean smiled.

“We saw your nurse. He said you were awake.”

“Come on in,” Dean motioned for her to enter, and she quickly did. A moment later, Benny followed. Both of them looked like they were way overdue for a shower… and sleep for that matter. Dean grimaced.

“You guys look awful.”

“You’re one to talk,” Charlie grumbled, crossing her arms. “If you hadn’t tried to go all Han Solo with an angel, and an  _Alpha_  at that—“

“Hey! Cut him some slack,” Benny chastised, looking over at Sam and Jess. “I’m sure he’s gotten enough of an earful from these two.”

“Benny,” Dean’s voice suddenly became serious as he stared at his worried friend. “Cas didn’t do this to me.”

Benny and Charlie exchanged a troubled glance, before the former finally spoke. “We know, brother. As soon as I started my rounds, I heard an almighty racket. It was obvious Castiel was trying to get my attention. Well, soon as I got there, I see you just lyin’ in there. Not moving. And there’s blood all around.” Benny looked down and gulped heavily. “I thought you were dead.”

“Cas didn’t hurt me,” Dean emphasized. “He actually helped me, Benny. I know it seems unbelievable—“

“—Oh I believe it,” Benny laughed, and Charlie grinned. “Carried you right to the gate, left you lying there, then flew up into the canopy so I could get you out without worrying about ‘im.”

“The doctor said it was a miracle your wound wasn’t infected,” Charlie said, still smiling. “Said someone must’ve been keeping it clean.”

Dean shook his head in disbelief. He knew Castiel hadn’t been trying to hurt him, but he had no idea the angel had actually been trying to  _help_ him.

“When can I get back?” Dean asked, and Sam barked out a sudden laugh. 

“Get back? Dean, no way you’re going anywhere near—“

“Benny? Charlie?” Dean forced himself to focus steadily on them. Benny looked nervous and Charlie fidgeted with her hands.

“You might not be going back,” Charlie finally said, and Dean stared at her dumbly.

“What?”

“It’s under review,” Benny quickly assured him, turning to glare at Charlie. “…But she’s right. It doesn’t look good for you, brother.”

“Why? This was Alastair’s fault, not mine!”

“ _We_  know that,” Charlie replied. “But you have to realize how this looks from the outside. You request night clearance, express a specific interest in Castiel, and then mysteriously end up in his enclosure with a severe injury?”

“If Cas wanted to kill me, he could have,” Dean pointed out, not comprehending how anyone could be so dense. “Easily.”

“Don’t panic yet,” Charlie reassured him. “You haven’t been officially released. Benny and I are more than willing to vouch for you.”

“Not just us, either,” Benny said in agreement. “Everyone likes you, Dean. We all know you wouldn’t have done something so careless.”

“Just focus on getting better, okay?” Charlie urged. Sam and Jess both nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure no one hurts Cas.”

Dean felt his headache beginning to flare up again, and he shut his eyes tightly to block out the bright overhead light.

“Dean?” Sam asked, concerned. He obviously noticed the change in his brother. “You okay?”

“Fine,” Dean said gruffly, turning to the side so they couldn’t see the obvious discomfort on his face. “Tired.”

“Do you want us to leave?” Jess asked. Dean nodded.

“Yeah, sorry. I just… need to rest.”

He listened to them slowly file out, murmuring to each other in voices too low for him to hear. He wanted nothing more than to ask them to come back, but he needed to be alone right now. He needed to think. He didn’t know why Castiel decided he was worth saving, but he knew now that Alastair was a man with absolutely no morals at all. They couldn’t reason with someone like him. They needed to catch him red handed. And soon. Dean had absolutely no doubt in his mind that the next time Alastair decided to do his “research” on Castiel, it would be a lot worse than just taking some of his feathers. Dean wasn’t going to let that happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that took so long! This last week has really kicked my butt. Anyways, I hope you guys like this installment. This is really setting the stage for some very important stuff, both with DeanCas and with the larger storyline, further on. 
> 
> If you have questions about this story, either comment here or send me a on tumblr (kisskisscastiel.tumblr.com). You all rock <3


	10. Dealing

Dean wasn’t released from the hospital until three days later, and Sam wouldn’t even entertain the thought of allowing him to return to his apartment in downtown. Instead, Dean ended up in the guest room at Sam and Jess’ place. He wanted to complain, and had actually started a protest when Sam began his explanation, but the look in his brother’s eyes told him all he needed to know. This was an argument he would definitely lose. His baby brother was going to make one hell of a lawyer, unfortunately for Dean.

Sam and Jess brought him back to their apartment on a sunny Thursday, after Dean assured them that he really was fine, despite their concerns. Jess seemed convinced, but Sam had been hovering over him like a hungry horsefly since they left the hospital. He was in guest bedroom now, back against the headboard and legs crossed while he read one of his first-year textbooks. It was outdated now, but still had some valuable information. He kept rereading the section on angelic body language, specifically wings, and smiling. 

“Dean?” Jess knocked against the open door and popped her head in after a moment. “Dinner’s ready. You up for some spaghetti?” 

“Hell yeah,” Dean grinned and closed the book immediately, putting it on the bed stand. He swung his legs over the side and jumped to his feet rapidly. He stumbled for a second, slightly dizzy, but quickly recovered after putting a hand on the wall for balance. Jess sighed and shook her head. 

“You’re supposed to take it easy, remember? No jumping around for a while.” 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, embarrassed. “Don’t tell Sam?” 

“Of course not,” Jess promised. “Now hurry up. I’m starving.” 

Dean followed Jess downstairs, head still spinning slightly from the sudden movement. Sam was sitting at the table, looking down at papers spread out in disarray with a look of stern concentration on his face. 

“Hey, Sammy,” Dean said as he sat next to him, trying to get a look at what he was writing. Sam immediately covered it with his hand and glared. 

“Dean, you can’t look at this stuff,” Sam snapped as he began to gather the papers and shove them back into a folder. Dean sat back, startled at the reprimand. What the hell had gotten into his brother? Jess looked shocked as well, if the expression on her face as she held a spatula still dripping red sauce onto the tile was any indication. 

“Sam!” she said, shocked. 

Sam looked up at her, then at Dean, and his shoulders slumped. “Hey, I’m sorry okay? I just… am kinda stressed out about this case.” 

“It’s fine,” Dean quickly replied, trying not to sound hurt. Jess continued to glare at Sam though, and Dean could feel the tension thrumming through the air. Sam refused to meet her gaze and just kept organizing papers into the folder that Dean now noticed had F.A.A. printed across the front. So that was why he wasn’t supposed to look.

After a few moments Jess retreated back into the kitchen, and when she returned she had two bowls with her. She set one in front of Dean, and then sat across from him with the other. Sam sat for a few moments, then finally got up and grabbed a bowl for himself. They didn’t say a word to each other the entire meal, and Dean knew that he should probably at least try to ease the tense silence. 

“So, I managed to get an extension on some assignment deadlines,” Dean offered, swirling his fork through the thick noodles. “Medical emergency and all.” 

“That’s great,” Jess smiled, but didn’t comment further. Dean looked over at Sam, who was resolutely staring at his bowl. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Sam and Jess weren’t exactly getting along well right now, and he suddenly felt as though he were an unwanted intruder in their home. 

“I’m going to go up and study,” Dean finally said, forcing a smile as he grabbed his nearly untouched bowl and carried it into the kitchen to wash. 

“Is that all you’re going to eat?” Jess called after him, her voice laced with concern. “I know you, Dean. You’re a garbage disposal. What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” he assured her. “I’m just tired. Good luck on your case, Sam.” 

“Dean, listen—” Sam began, but Dean quickly cut him off. 

“—Sam, it’s fine. I know how it is.” He tried his best to muster the most reassuring smile he was capable of. “I’m a conflict of interest.” 

Jess looked at Sam expectantly, but his brother remained silent. He made his way upstairs and tried to suppress the dull ache in his chest.

~*~

“A Frappuccino? Seriously?” 

“What?” Dean asked guiltily, stuffing another bite of his chocolate croissant into his mouth. “You got one too.” 

“I guess I just had you pegged as a latte guy,” Charlie replied, shrugging. 

“Oh?” Dean laughed and took another sip of his drink. “Glad to know I don’t meet your expectations.” 

“Let me guess, you had me pegged as a Next Generation guy too?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Duh,” Charlie replied. “Well, either that or Deep Space Nine.” 

“Wrong!” Dean chuckled. “Original series all the way.” 

“Wait, what?” Charlie sputtered, staring at him in shock. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Am I interrupting something?” Benny asked, taking a seat between them at the small Starbucks table and stirring a packet of sugar into his black coffee. 

“Only Dean being an idiot, so nothing new,” Charlie teased. Dean rolled his eyes. 

“How’s the head, brother?” Benny asked, his voice suddenly low with concern. Dean shrugged and offered him a small smile. 

“Great, actually. I’m not even having balance issues anymore.” 

“That’s good.” Benny smiled and took another sip of his coffee. “Castiel will sure enjoy hearin’ that.” 

“Cas? Did he talk to you? Is he okay?” Dean asked rapidly, his playful demeanor suddenly gone and replaced with one of anxiety. 

“Relax,” Benny laughed. “He’s fine. Well, ‘cept for the fact he’s been nearly pullin’ his wings out with worry for you.” 

“He’s been worried about me?” Dean asked, dumbstruck. Charlie snorted into her cup. 

“You really are dense, aren’t you?” She exchanged a knowing look with Benny, then turned back to Dean. “Of course he’s worried about you. You nearly died trying to keep him safe. He’s not stupid; he knows that.”

“I guess.” Dean looked down, suddenly embarrassed. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Benny cleared his throat pointedly. 

“I know you probably don’t want to talk ‘bout this, but you’re gonna have to make a statement soon,” he said. Dean gulped and nodded. 

“I know.” 

“Alastair’s on paid leave pending the investigation, but they need an official complaint from you before it can move forward.” 

“So he can’t get near Cas?” Dean sighed in relief. “Good.” 

“They want you to come in as soon as you’re well enough,” Charlie said. “You’ll probably have to talk with Crowley and one of the company’s lawyers.” 

“Crowley?” Dean remembered his conversation with the snarky man from before. He wondered if their little ‘deal’ was going to go on record as well. He hoped not. He didn’t want to risk Castiel finding out about it, not when the Alpha seemed to finally be warming up to him. 

“Yeah,” Charlie nodded. She looked worried. “Dean, I don’t want to scare you but—”

“—They’re going to try and make it seem like it was my fault,” Dean finished. He expected as much. Charlie nodded.  
“It ain’t anything personal,” Benny said. “But your story is bad press.” 

“My story is true,” Dean shot back. 

“That don’t matter to them,” Benny shook his head. “Just—don’t be too shocked if they try and poke holes in what you’re sayin’.” 

“I know,” Dean replied, taking another sip of his drink while Charlie gave him a small sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Did they figure anything out with the tapes?”

“Ash looked into it,” Benny said. “They weren’t even set to record that night. There’s nothing.”

“What happens if I they don’t believe me?” 

“They’ll believe you,” Charlie assured him. “We’ll make sure of that.” 

~*~ 

Dean woke up in the morning of his meeting with a splitting headache and a cramp in his back so severe he couldn’t help but let out an extremely unmanly whimper when he pulled himself out of bed. Sam was already in the kitchen when he finally finished showering and got dressed, and he smiled widely as his brother placed a plate of slightly-burnt blueberry pancakes in front of him. 

“Wow Sammy, you’ve gotten better,” he teased while pouring copious amounts of syrup. Sam laughed and sat down next to him.

“You used to make these for me all the time when I had a big day at school,” Sam explained. “Figured it was my turn to return the favor.”

They finished their meal in comfortable silence. For the first time since he woke up, Dean felt prepared for what was coming. They’d spent half the night going over the story. Sam had emphasized the importance of absolute consistency in every detail, and drilled him until he felt he was ready. His conversation today was more than likely going to be recorded, and he didn’t want to do or say anything that could be used against him. 

“Whatever you do, don’t act nervous,” Sam said again as Dean adjusted his tie and pulled on the suit jacket. He wanted to just wear his jeans, but Sam had scoffed at the idea. Apparently, appearance was an important factor in innocence, at least in lawyer-land. 

“Sam, I know. Believe me, after talking with you I feel like I deserve a law degree.” 

“You’ll do great, Dean,” Sam whispered as he pulled his brother into a suffocating hug. “I know you will.” 

“Okay, okay,” Dean grunted, struggling his way out of Sam’s death-grip. “Can I go now?” 

Sam eventually released Dean, albeit reluctantly, and Dean took that as their cue to leave. 

The ride to the facility was extremely tense, and Dean was glad Sam was driving instead, because he wasn't sure he would be able to stay on the road the way his hands were shaking. Gordon waved him through, but made him sign a ‘visitor’ form he had never been required to before, and handed him a red badge to wear instead of his usual blue. As soon as he walked into the entrance building, Becky waved him over and made him fill out several sheets of paperwork (waivers, he realized later). When he was finished, she told him to take a seat and picked up her phone to call Crowley. 

Dean waited for what must have been close to an hour. Eventually, Crowley appeared from the hallway and motioned him forward. Dean followed him down the long hall, the knot of anxiety in his stomach just growing stronger as they passed Crowley’s office and descended a flight of stairs. 

Dean was about to ask where exactly they were going, but Crowley finally stopped and opened the door to a small, windowless room with nothing in it but a dingy wooden table and a tripod with a video camera attached to it, pointed at the far chair. 

“Please,” Crowley spoke for the first time since he had called him back, “take a seat.” 

Dean sat down in the far chair, the one the camera was pointed at, and began to fidget nervously with his hands as Crowley sat across from him. He pressed something on the camera, and a red recording light flashed. 

“Now, state your name for the record.” 

“Uh, Dean Winchester.” 

“Job title?” 

“Um… Intern?” 

“Is that a question, Mr. Winchester?” 

“No,” Dean gritted his teeth, already irritated. 

“Do you know why you are here today?” 

“To tell you what happened,” he replied. “But I’m confused, isn’t there supposed to be a lawyer or something?” 

“I am a lawyer,” Crowley replied, obviously getting annoyed with Dean’s derailment. “Now hurry up, I don’t have all day down here. I’m a very busy man.” 

“Okay, uh… I was at Cas’ enclosure—” 

“—What time?”

“Um, probably like 6:30 or 7? Anyways, I was taking notes at Cas’ enclosure, and I saw Alastair and some guys walk up. There was a struggle, and eventually one of them popped me over the back of the head with something. I heard them talking about how they wanted to pin my death on Cas, and at some point I ended up in the enclosure. I don’t remember exactly when or how that part happened because I was unconscious,” Dean explained, already losing patience. “I woke up and Cas was there. He helped me. I ended up passing out again, and I didn’t wake up again until the hospital.”

“Hold on, hold on,” Crowley said, reaching up and pausing the video camera. “You’re going to have to be a bit more convincing than that if you want them to believe you.” 

“…What?” Dean asked, unsure of what Crowley was suggesting. 

“We both know Alastair is a bad egg,” Crowley said casually. “And you, you have the potential to be quite useful.” 

“I’m not sure I follow,” Dean replied, narrowing his eyes. “Useful how?” 

“You keep having your little tea parties with that Alpha, and I’ll make this goes away. Got it?”

Dean’s eyes widened as Crowley’s words sunk in. Sam was wrong, he wasn’t going to try and make him look bad. He wanted him to succeed, because he was useful. There was still the matter of Alastair, though. He needed to be gone. He was dangerous. 

“Of course, Alastair won’t be allowed to return,” Crowley continued, seeming to sense Dean’s apprehensions. “We’ll forward our evidence to the police, and they may or may not decide it is worth pursuing, but he will never work for Crossroads Inc., or its affiliates, again.”

“What about Tom and that other guy?” Dean asked dubiously, still not fully convinced. 

“Consider them gone.” Crowley waved his hand dismissively. “Under one condition, Dean. I expect results. Don’t make me regret backing you.” 

“Of course not,” Dean stammered quickly. He didn’t want to let this opportunity pass. If it meant getting rid of Alastair, no price was too high. “I just… why me?” 

Crowley laughed and shook his head. “Are you ribbing me? That angel is gone on you, Dean. You can’t be that blind.” 

“Cas can’t find out about this,” Dean warned, and for some reason he felt a strange tendril of guilt curl deep in his chest. “He wouldn’t take it well.” 

“Of course not,” Crowley scoffed. “That means you can’t spill the beans either. He finds out? Deal is off, and you are gone.” 

Dean nodded. Something about this felt… wrong. Dirty. He couldn’t justify not taking the chance to get Alastair away from Castiel once and for all though, so he swallowed his trepidation and nodded. “Okay.” 

“Excellent,” Crowley grinned, then reached up to turn the camera back on. “Now, let’s try this again, shall we?” 

~*~  
“How did it go?” Sam could barely keep himself from shouting as Dean hopped into the passenger seat several hours later, still in shock. He shook his head and remained silent, and Sam didn't pester him anymore until they got back to the apartment. As soon as they were in the door though, he turned to face him.

“I… I go back tomorrow,” Dean said, looking up at his brother and giving him the brightest smile he could muster. Sam’s mouth dropped in shock, and then he once again had his arms around Dean in a crushing hug. Jess clapped loudly and whistled, and pulled Dean into a hug of her own as soon as Sam released him. 

“I bought a pie from that place you love,” Jess said when she finally let go, turning around to retreat into the kitchen. Sam nudged Dean affectionately with his elbow as they followed her.

“What if it didn’t go so well?” Dean asked. “Would I still get pie?” 

“It could work as a consolation pie,” Jess replied, and Dean grinned. 

“Sorry, Sam,” Dean said as he pulled down three plates and grabbed some vanilla ice cream out of the freezer. 

“For what?” Sam asked, smile still wide on his face. 

“Guess I’m gonna be a ‘conflict of interest’ for a while longer.” 

Sam’s face fell, and Dean immediately felt guilt wash over him. He had meant it as a joke, but now he felt like the biggest asshole on the planet. Jess seemed startled too, and she stared at Dean with surprise as she held the pie in her hands. 

“Sam, I’m sorry. I was just—with the whole F.A.A. thing… I thought it was funny, a joke—”

“It’s fine,” Sam replied tersely, but Dean could tell from the look on his brother’s face that it wasn’t. “Well, how about that pie?” 

“It’s apple,” Jess said, finally snapping out of her shock enough to pull out the pie scooper. “That’s your favorite, right?” 

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, watching as she put a large piece on his plate. They ate together in silence.

~*~

When Dean arrived at the facility the next day, there was a large group already gathered in the break room. He recognized most of them, so he wasn’t surprised when Charlie announced they were all there to welcome him back. There was another pie, this time cherry, that was so good he couldn’t stop himself from consuming three huge slices. 

His welcome-back party didn’t last long, but he didn’t mind. He was flattered that they bothered to put something together for him at all, especially since he had only been with the company for a few months. Besides, more than anything, he wanted to see Castiel. 

His walk to the Alpha’s enclosure was nerve-wracking. He hadn’t seen Castiel since the incident with Alastair, and prior to that he had seemed angry over the knowledge of what they did with Hester’s egg. Now that the threat of Alastair was gone, would he go back to giving Dean the silent treatment?

He felt his heart fall as he approached the enclosure and realized that Castiel was nowhere in sight. He made his way down the steps and sat against the guard rail, closer to the bars than he normally dared. He didn’t feel threatened anymore. He knew that the Alpha wouldn’t hurt him without a good reason. 

He considered calling out to the angel, alerting him of his presence, but decided against it. He could wait. Castiel was bound to notice him, and if he still didn’t want to see him, no amount of shouting would change that. 

As if on cue, Dean heard the leaves above rustling and smiled as a dark shape flew swiftly to the ground. Castiel flared his wings in surprise, not aggression, as he stared at Dean. Dean didn’t move from his position near the bars, just gave the Alpha a small wave and a friendly smile. He immediately noticed the change in Castiel, and the way that his wings went from surprised to excited in a matter of moments. 

“Dean,” the Alpha said immediately as he crouched down on the other side of the bars, his face only a few feet from the human’s. Dean continued to smile and didn’t flinch away. He hadn’t realized how much he missed that voice. “You’re alright.” 

“Yeah, thanks to you,” Dean replied without skipping a beat. Castiel’s eyes widened for a moment before he schooled them back. The Alpha looked down for a moment, and Dean didn’t miss the way his wings dropped minutely. He seemed to be at a loss for words, so Dean continued, “You didn’t have to save me, Cas. But you did.”

Castiel didn’t respond, but he held Dean’s gaze and graced him with the barest hint of a smile before slowly turning away and retreating toward the water. It was the same water the angel had used to clean his wounds, and Dean smiled again at the memory. As Castiel ran one of his beautiful wings through the stream, wetting it to begin grooming, he turned toward the human and tilted his head in acknowledgment. Something had changed between them. Dean wasn’t sure yet what it was, but he knew that his choice to protect Castiel from Alastair had been the right one, regardless of the cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't beta-ed quite yet, but I wanted to get it posted since I said it would be up relatively early. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this installment. This chapter definitely marks a major 'turning point' in the fic. :) Thanks to everyone who is still reading, I really appreciate every single one of you. <3
> 
>  
> 
> kisskisscastiel.tumblr.com


	11. Tasting

 

Sam was reluctant to let Dean move back into his apartment, even after the doctor gave him a clean bill of health. He wasn’t really surprised, ever since the incident Sam had turned into a helicopter brother. Dean was used to being the one taking care of Sam, not the other way around, so the whole experience had been somewhat jarring.

“You’ll call if you need _anything,_ right?” Sam said anxiously while they stood in the entryway of Dean’s building. It had been nearly a month since he’d been home.

“Sam, I’m fine,” Dean grumbled. He was getting tired of being fretted over. “Maybe now you can actually get some work done.”

“You know you’re always welcome,” Sam replied. “In fact, Jess and I were talking. We think maybe it would be best if—”

“Sam, no,” Dean said firmly. “I love you guys, I really do, but I don’t need you to take care of me.”

“Dean—”

“You and Jess both work, you’re trying to plan a wedding,” Dean said. “I’ll be fine, okay?”

Sam still didn’t look convinced, but he nodded reluctantly. He pulled Dean in for a tight hug and, when he didn’t let go, Dean eventually had to wriggle out of his strong grip. Sam pulled away reluctantly.

 “You know,” Sam said, “you always have a place with us.”

“I know,” Dean replied, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Sam huffed out a small laugh and shook his head, following Dean into the elevator and up to his floor. Dean could hardly believe it when he finally unlocked the door and dropped his bags on the floor of his apartment. It felt like eternity since he was last here.

“You should get a cat or something,” Sam suggested, moving forward to open one of the windows. Dean shook his head. Sam laughed. “Oh wait, you’re allergic.”

“You’re an ass.”  

They continued in silence for a while, Dean carrying his bags back to his bedroom to begin unpacking while Sam unloaded the groceries they had bought on their way back. Dean should have known better than to go shopping with Sam—his fridge was going to be a hellhole of fresh fruits and vegetables for a while. Oh well, at least he convinced his brother to let him buy the value pack of Snickers.

“Dean?” Sam called from the kitchen, and Dean made his way over to him when he finished putting his clothes back in the dresser.

“Yeah?”

“What’s this?”

Dean gulped heavily at the half-empty bottle of whiskey Sam had pulled from the depths of the freezer, and was now waving accusingly in his face. He didn’t look angry, but he sure looked disappointed. For Dean, that was even worse.

“I… don’t really have a good explanation for that,” Dean replied honestly, dread and anxiety curling in his chest.

“You can’t do this anymore, Dean.” Sam’s voice was barely above a whisper, and the pain beneath the surface made Dean wince. “After what happened, you promised—”

“—I know, I know,” Dean quickly replied, his eyes locked firmly on the tile. “I’m sorry.”

Sam sighed and twisted the cap off, then poured the rest of the bottle into the sink. Dean watched him guiltily. He didn’t speak.

Sam stayed for a while after he helped Dean finish unpacking. They ate dinner together and watched Die Hard 2. It made Dean ache with a strange kind of nostalgia for the life they both had left behind. He wondered how Bobby was doing, but he knew better than to ask. He didn’t want to put Sam in an awkward position. He already knew how difficult it was for his brother to keep two worlds apart. He didn’t want to make that line even blurrier.

Eventually it was time for Sam to leave. He gave Dean another squeeze on the way out, and made him promise to call. Dean agreed, still amused at how motherly Sam was acting, how the roles had been so completely inverted in their relationship in such a short period of time.

Dean collapsed on his bed as soon as Sam left, not even bothering to shower. He wondered if the relationship between them would ever truly recover. He knew Sam still kept in contact with Bobby, and he had to admit (only to himself, of course), he wondered how the man who had been like a father to him for sixteen years was doing. He would never ask, he _could_ never ask, but sometimes he wondered.

~*~

The break room was oddly quiet when Dean arrived at the facility that morning, and he looked down at the coffee he had picked up for Charlie mournfully. Maybe she went to the clinic early? He made the small trek without running in to a single person—odd.

He opened the door slowly to the clinic, and was surprised to see that the almost always empty waiting-room was completely packed with people. Benny, Chuck, Jo, Ellen and even Bela were seated and chatting nervously to one another, as well as a handful of people that Dean hadn’t met yet.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he sidled up next to Benny, handing him Charlie’s coffee. She was nowhere in sight and he didn’t want it to get cold, and Benny looked like he could use it.

“Thanks, brother,” Benny nodded to him before taking a long drink. He sighed deeply and looked around at the people gathered there, then back to where the doors leading to the inner rooms. Dean wanted to look back there, to see what was happening, but he knew better than to try.

“It’s the egg,” Chuck said from somewhere behind Dean, and the latter jumped slightly in surprise at the sudden appearance of the smaller man. “It’s beginning to hatch.”

“Already?” Dean frowned. He knew he had been out for a while, but from what he remembered about angel reproduction, the egg should incubate for at least a couple more weeks. Chuck nodded solemnly.

“It’s not good. There’s no way the hatchling will be fully developed at this point.”

“We shouldn’t have taken it from Hester,” Dean said numbly, the full gravity of what Chuck was saying finally sinking in. “We shouldn’t have. Cas was against it, too.”

“The Alpha?” Chuck asked, curious. “You told him?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “The night when Alastair… well, you know.”

Chuck nodded sympathetically and left it at that. Dean was glad he didn’t push it. It wasn’t a memory he was particularly keen on dredging up again.

“What do you reckon the chances are?” Benny asked Chuck. The latter bit his bottom lip in consternation and looked down.

“That bad, huh?” Benny let out a hollow laugh. Dean felt his heart sink.

“Most of an angel’s development happens internally though, right?” Dean asked hopefully. He knew that the majority of an angel’s growth in the egg happened in the parent’s body. “So there’s hope?”

“We don’t know,” Ellen chimed in, breaking away from her deep conversation with Bela. “Of the few live hatchings we’ve actually had, none were this early.”

Dean was about to sit down when Charlie appeared from the back, her face pale and hair frazzled. She looked around the room nervously. When her eyes fell on Dean, she breathed out a small sigh of relief and motioned for him to follow her.

Dean immediately complied, despite the grumbled protests of Benny and Chuck beside him. He wasn’t sure what he could possibly offer, but he wasn’t going to question it. He followed Charlie into the back, and stopped when she pulled him to the side in the narrow hallway.

“You need to be careful,” she warned, “don’t make any sudden movements.”

“Okay?” Dean was especially curious now. What exactly was going on?

“Anna’s really upset,” Charlie explained.

“Cause of the egg?”

Charlie nodded.

“I don’t understand, what am I supposed to do?”

“Just… listen,” Charlie replied, and opened the door. Dean was immediately affronted by mournful cries, and when he looked in he saw what must have been Anna, her burgundy wings unkempt and dirty as they covered something protectively that Dean could only assume was the hatching egg. One of her wings hung to the side at a strange angle, and Dean figured that must have been the one that Charlie said was injured beyond repair.

She was muttering to herself in a mix of what sounded like broken Enochian and sobs. It was hard to discern though. She looked up as Charlie and Dean entered the small room, and her functional wing immediately drew back into an aggressive posture when Dean locked eyes with her. She hissed aggressively, then crouched even closer to the egg. Dean was thankful for the bars between them. With the way she was posturing, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere near her without a barrier.  

“Anna, it’s okay,” Charlie said soothingly. The angel just growled even more loudly and thrashed her wing out threateningly. “Dean can talk to Castiel for you.”

Anna visibly perked up at the mention of the Alpha’s name. Her eyes looked from Dean to Charlie suspiciously, and finally rested completely on Dean. He gulped heavily. The weight of pain and sorrow radiating from the angel in front of him was overwhelming.

She eventually lifted her body (albeit reluctantly) from where it was curled around the magenta egg, and Dean could now see the deep cracks running up the sides of it. There was no going back now. The hatchling was coming; ready or not.

Anna pulled herself up to the bars with some difficulty, probably due to her mangled wing and obviously emaciated body. She held onto them tightly to keep herself standing, and held Dean’s gaze as she spoke.

“Castiel,” she said hopefully, and then muttered something under her breath that Dean didn’t understand. Charlie shook her head and looked at Dean.

“So, think you can talk to him?”

Dean looked back at Anna, at the vague hope that was hidden beneath her dull eyes, and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

~*~

Dean approached Castiel’s enclosure with a sense of nervous dread. He liked to think that he was on good terms with the Alpha now, but last time he brought up Anna and the egg, Castiel had reacted extremely negatively. He had been careful not to mention it again.

Castiel was sunning himself near the bars when Dean approached, and he felt his heart warm at the excited look in angel’s eyes when he saw Dean. His drew his wings up into a friendly posture and sat cross-legged near the bars.

Dean swallowed heavily and sat across from Castiel. They were close enough to touch. Castiel must have sensed something was wrong, or else Dean looked even more miserable than he felt, because his smile dissipated into a concerned frown and he reached out a hand hesitantly toward him through the bars.

Dean forced himself to smile, and after a few moments of deliberation placed his hand gingerly in Castiel’s. He wasn’t afraid anymore, even though logically he knew he should be. Castiel seemed happy with Dean’s compliance, and Dean immediately felt a faint pulse of warmth and calm radiate through him. It relaxed his raging nerves and he felt his tense posture loosen. When Castiel seemed satisfied that he was no longer distressed, he reluctantly pulled his arm back through the bars to hang loosely at his side.

Dean smiled at the Alpha, reveling in the close proximity and temporarily forgetting why he was here in the first place. Castiel waited patiently for him to speak, although the concern in his eyes was ever present.

“I need to talk to you about something, Cas,” Dean began nervously, putting his hands against his knees and then on the ground in search of a more comfortable position. The angel frowned slightly, but waited for him to continue.

“It’s about Anna,” Dean finally managed to say, and he winced when he saw the way that Castiel tensed at the mention of the other angel.

“What about her?” Castiel finally said, and Dean was startled at how cold his voice sounded. It was a stark contrast to his open and friendly behavior from before.

“She’s fine,” Dean quickly modified, and he didn’t miss the way Castiel’s hard eyes relaxed. “It’s just—remember what I said about Hester’s clutch? The egg we—they—gave to Anna?”

Castiel nodded tensely, his eyes narrowing. Dean watched the way his wings quivered in what was hard to interpret as anything but anger. He wished now he was sitting a bit further back, but he didn’t want to give the angel the wrong idea so he forced himself to stay still. After a few moments to allow Castiel to adjust, Dean continued.

“It’s starting to hatch,” he explained, “but it’s too soon. Way too soon.”

Castiel’s wings flared in an odd gesture that Dean was too strung out to try and interpret. He could feel his hands shaking with nerves, his survival instincts going wild over the fact that he was seated only a couple of feet away from an obviously angry Alpha angel. Castiel remained silent, so Dean took that as permission to continue.

“We aren’t sure why, but Anna keeps asking for you,” Dean finally said, and felt his heart break at the absolutely crushed look on Castiel’s face. The Alpha looked away from him then, and Dean didn’t miss the way his fists curled in helpless anger to match the rest of his posture. “Is there anything we can do? Is there anything you want us—”

“Leave,” Castiel hissed, and Dean recoiled in shock at the venom in the angel’s voice.

“Cas?”

“I said _leave_ ,” Castiel snarled, and in a flash he slammed his fist against one of the bars so hard that it vibrated under the pressure. Dean scrambled back in a panic, his heart thudding loudly in his chest. Castiel glared after him, his eyes hard and cold.

~*~

When Dean finally sulked back into the clinic, he was surprised to see that most of the crowd had dispersed. Only Benny and Chuck remained, smiling and laughing to each other. Dean felt like that was a bit insensitive, considering the situation, but he ignored them in search of Charlie.

He found her in one of the back rooms. She looked up when he entered, a beaming smile on her face.

“Hey,” Dean mumbled reluctantly. He had no idea how to tell Charlie that he hadn’t been able to get anything helpful out of Castiel.

“Dean,” she said excitedly, “you’ll never believe it! She’s beautiful.”

“What?” Dean asked, confused. This didn’t exactly seem like the time for excitement.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” Charlie said with a mysterious grin. Dean followed her, his confusion only growing. When she stopped outside Anna’s room, Charlie opened the door slowly and motioned for Dean to enter.

Dean complied hesitantly, entering slowly so as not to startle the angel inside. Anna’s posture was nowhere near as anxious and aggressive as before. She was curled in the bedding in the corner, which she had rearranged to resemble a nest. To the side, the fragments of a pink shell were discarded.

Dean felt hope flutter in his chest as he walked forwards slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements that might startle Anna. She looked so… content. It was miles away from the nervous wreck she had been earlier.

As Dean approached, he could just barely make out the small form of the hatchling that she held cradled in her arms. Dean’s breath hitched slightly in awe.  

She appeared to be sleeping, her tiny hands clutched tightly to the material of Anna’s wrap. Dean felt his heart warm when Anna pressed gentle kisses to her hatchling’s soft blonde hair. Her tiny, tawny-colored wings were almost identical to Inias’ in color and pattern. There really was no doubt now as to her paternity.

Anna looked up as she heard Dean approach, a weary look on her face. Even so, the spark of joy in her eyes never faded. Charlie put her hand on Dean’s shoulder and smiled.

“Missouri already ran the preliminary test. She’s a bit small, but healthy. I guess everything is going to be okay now.”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. Charlie frowned.

“You okay?”

“I should probably let Cas know,” Dean said. “When I talked to him earlier, he seemed really worried.”

“I can imagine,” Charlie replied, “he’s her Alpha. Of course he’s worried.”

 “You really think they’ll be okay?” Dean asked once more, a nagging worry still tugging in his chest. Charlie smiled and nudged him reassuringly.

“They have each other now. They’ll be fine.”

~*~

Dean didn’t want to return to Castiel’s enclosure right away, but he had to at least tell him that Anna and the hatchling were alright. He rehearsed his apology a thousand times in his head, unsure if the Alpha would even be willing to listen to it. Still, he had to at least try.

“Cas?” he called out when he approached the enclosure, disappointed to see that the Alpha was nowhere in sight. Damn. If he insisted on hiding in the canopy, this was going to be even more difficult.

He sat down in front of the enclosure, this time safely behind the guard rail, and looked down at his hands. His confidence was shaken after their confrontation earlier, and he wanted to give Castiel space.

“Dean.”

Dean looked up as the Alpha approached the bars, surprised that he had actually decided to show. He was even more surprised when Castiel sat down right in front of the bars and dropped his wings into what almost looked like a submissive posture. Dean gulped heavily and ran his fingers nervously along the railing. This was going much better than expected, but he knew better than to get his hopes up.

“I just came by to tell you that Anna and the hatchling are okay,” Dean said quickly. He heard Castiel sigh with relief, and looked up hesitantly just in time to catch the angel’s small smile.

“Thank you,” Castiel said, “for telling me.”

Dean nodded in reply, and looked back down. He could see Castiel shift in his periphery, but didn’t want to risk meeting his eyes. The silence that followed was awkward as hell, and he half expected the Alpha to retreat back into the canopy, but Castiel remained seated. When Dean finally looked up at him, the angel was staring at him with something akin to uncertainty on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Dean finally said. He meant it. “I know you’re upset about the Anna situation. I can’t say I blame you.”

Castiel shook his head. “I’m the one that should be apologizing, Dean.”

“Huh?” Dean asked dumbly. That one caught him off guard. “Um… why?”

“I lost my temper,” Castiel replied. He sounded almost guilty. “I scared you.”

“I wasn’t really that scared,” Dean lied.

“Regardless,” Castiel said. He was staring at the guard rail with what looked like regret. Dean finally understood. Without a word, he stood up and got as close to the bars as he could before sitting down again. Castiel’s eyes widened for a second, but then he smiled.

“See?” Dean teased. “Not scared.”

Castiel laughed—actually laughed—and it made something in Dean’s chest clench painfully. It was good though, whatever it was.

Dean told Castiel to wait for a moment, then got up to grab his discarded backpack. When he returned, the Alpha was staring at him curiously while he dug through the pockets.

“What are you doing?” Castiel asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. Dean couldn’t help but notice how adorable the gesture was.

“Making it up to you,” Dean replied, still searching. Castiel sighed and shook his head.

“You don’t have to—”

“Shuddup,” Dean grumbled, his hands finally finding what they were looking for. He pulled out the small candy bar and shoved his hands through the bars so suddenly that Castiel recoiled slightly in alarm. The angel looked at it suspiciously, then back up at Dean.

“…What is this?”

“An apology. A present. Whatever dude—just take it.”

Castiel hesitantly reached up and gingerly took the offering from Dean, their fingers brushing briefly. He looked down at the Snickers, then sniffed it. “What does it do?”

“What—no,” Dean laughed. “You eat it! It’s candy. It tastes good.”

Castiel looked skeptical, but he carefully lifted it to his mouth.

“No no!” Dean cried out, and the angel stopped immediately.

“What?”

“You have to take the wrapper off first. That part isn’t edible,” Dean explained in exasperation. Castiel quirked an eyebrow but made quick work of it. Dean reached his hand out once more and took the empty wrapper from the angel, shoving it back in his backpack.

“Okay,” he said excitedly, “now you have to eat it.”

Castiel huffed at Dean’s obvious enthusiasm, but lifted the bar to his mouth anyway and nibbled on the end. Dean waited eagerly, and almost immediately the Alpha’s face lit up with delight as he took an obscenely large bite. Dean laughed.

“I knew you would like it, man,” Dean said. Castiel didn’t reply, but he downed the Snickers in record time. “You’ve seriously never had candy before?”

“I have no interest in most human things,” Castiel replied simply. He was staring hungrily at Dean’s backpack.

“Sorry, that’s it,” Dean shrugged. “I can try and bring something else tomorrow though, if you’re interested.”

“Yes,” Castiel deadpanned, his expression comically serious.

“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone. I’m pretty sure this is against about fifty rules.”

Castiel nodded solemnly, and Dean almost wished he had another candy bar just so he could see the Alpha’s excitement again. He looked down at his watch and sighed. “Hey man, I’m sorry, but I have to go. I promised my brother I would stop by.”

Castiel looked disappointed, but he nodded in understanding. “I’ll see you… tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Dean grinned. “Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I've been really down the past few days and I was having a hard time getting it out. I hope you all enjoy it and thank you again for sticking with this story. I appreciate each and every one of you. <3 
> 
> kisskisscastiel.tumblr.com


	12. Trusting

Dean had a skip in his step when he came to the facility that evening. It was one of the days he was staying for the night shift, and he was prepared. He had spent the last forty-five minutes at the local Safeway picking out things for Castiel to try. He knew it was against the rules to give Castiel anything, but Ash was working security tonight so he wasn’t too concerned about it. 

“Evening,” he said cheerfully as he passed Gordon. The guard raised his eyebrows slightly but didn’t respond. 

He didn’t even stop in the break room on his way to Castiel’s enclosure. He was too giddy with excitement. The Alpha was just where he expected him to be, sitting cross-legged on the ground near the river, and when he noticed Dean his wings perked up visibly. 

“Hey,” Dean waved when he approached, then sat down next to the bars. Castiel immediately rushed to meet him, and Dean felt that strange, pleasant lightness in his chest again before he forcibly squashed it. Castiel was looking at him expectantly; he knew what the angel wanted. 

“Your wings look nice today,” Dean said conversationally. They really did. They were always impressive, but today they were even shinier than normal. For some reason, Castiel seemed to have gone through extra effort when grooming them. 

Dean meant it as an off-hand comment, but the Alpha’s face lit up with pride and Dean didn’t miss the way he fluffed his wings in a showy display. He couldn’t help but laugh at Castiel’s behavior. In that moment, he resembled a peacock quite closely. The Alpha frowned at Dean’s laughter, tilting his head to the side in confusion and narrowing his eyes. Dean just shook his head and pulled his bag closer. 

“Has anyone told you how funny you look sometimes?” Dean asked, unzipping the bag and looking for something Castiel might like. The angel huffed with irritation and crossed his arms. He almost looked like he was pouting. There was no way Dean just made an Alpha angel pout. 

“Want to try some more candy?” Dean asked. He almost felt bad for laughing at the angel, it had obviously upset him. Castiel’s hard gaze immediately softened at Dean’s offer, and he nodded eagerly.

Dean pulled out a bag of skittles and tossed it to Castiel. The angel scrambled to catch it, obviously surprised by the sudden assault. Castiel liked chocolate, but how would he react to something fruitier? 

Castiel gave Dean a curious look, then examined the small red bag in his hand. He began to lift it to his mouth, then stopped. Dean nodded encouragingly. 

“Wrapper?” the Alpha asked. 

“Yeah, but be care—“ Before Dean could finish, Castiel had eagerly ripped the top of the Skittles bag completely off. Unfortunately, all of the little candies inside went flying. “…ful.” 

Castiel looked startled at the sudden turn of events, and Dean tried his hardest to stifle the outburst of laughter that was threatening to break out of his mouth. Castiel groaned in frustration and looked mournfully at the small, brightly colored spheres strewn all over the ground of his enclosure. 

“Hey, I tried to warn you,” Dean said when he finally managed to get his amusement under control. 

“Do you have more?” Castiel asked hopefully, and how was Dean supposed to say no to that? He reached back into his bag and looked for something that would have a similar flavor. 

“These are Starbursts,” he explained, and reached his hand out through the bars. Castiel took the angular package from Dean’s palm delicately, and observed it with a suspicious look on his face. 

“Don’t worry, they have wrappers,” Dean explained. Castiel looked confused, but he carefully began to open the top of the package. He pulled a small, colored square out and examined it closely. 

“That one has a wrapper too,” Dean explained. “Sorry, you have to unwrap each of them individually.” 

“That seems inconvenient.” 

“Yeah, well, that’s just how it is, Cas.” 

Castiel seemed to accept this explanation, because he turned back to the small square and carefully unwrapped it as well. He looked around for a place to put the wrapper, and looked relieved when Dean reached his hand out to take it. Without any hesitation, he popped the candy into his mouth and began to chew. 

Dean felt the weird tingling again when Castiel’s face lit up, and he grinned widely while he watched the Alpha enjoying the treat. Castiel quickly dove in for another, and then another, and had the entire package nearly consumed in record time. Suddenly, however, he stopped and looked down at the few remaining candies in his hand. 

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked, puzzled. “Full already?” 

Castiel shook his head, still looking at the last three Starbursts on his palm, then held them out toward Dean. Dean looked down at the offering in shock. He felt strangely touched, and for several moments didn’t respond at all. Castiel suddenly looked uncertain, and that prompted Dean to reach out and take the Starbursts with a softly murmured “thanks.” 

Dean ate them in silence, and Castiel watched him carefully. Dean gave him a small smile as he put the wrappers back into his bag, then leaned back on his palms and rocked back and forth absentmindedly. The silence was heavy, but comfortable between them. It was nice. 

“So, how did you like Starbursts?” Dean finally asked when it became apparent that Castiel was not going to comment. The Alpha appeared to contemplate this for several minutes, and Dean suppressed a small chuckle at the look of consternation that suddenly overcame the angel’s face. 

“I would have to say I prefer the Snickers, Dean,” he deadpanned. Then, as though worried his responses would be taken the wrong way, he quickly scrambled to add, “but I thoroughly enjoyed them. Thank you.” 

“Lucky for you,” Dean replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out a familiar candy bar. He saw Castiel’s face light up. “I brought one of those, too.”  
He unwrapped the Snickers himself this time and handed it to the Alpha. Castiel took it gratefully, and then seemed to ponder something. After a few seconds of silence, he broke the bar neatly in half and handed the slightly bigger piece to Dean. Dean felt his heart warm as he took it. Castiel seemed extremely satisfied by this, and they ate together in a comfortable silence. 

~*~  


“Sam,” Dean said nervously as they pushed their way through the large crowd. “I really don’t think I should be—”

“—You’ll be fine,” Sam reassured him. “No one’s going to recognize you here, don’t worry.” 

Dean gulped heavily but nodded. Sam pushed them past a group of young teenager girls standing near the edge of the crowd, and eventually the main stage came into view. The people around them were all holding signs of some sort, some elaborate and impressive, others just flimsy paper with what looked like crayon scribbled on it. All of them were here in support of FAA. 

“Why did you want me to come to this?” Dean mumbled, as someone next to him inadvertently elbowed him hard in the side. Sam and Jess looked at each other, then back to Dean. 

“You’ll be fine,” Sam reiterated. “Besides, aren’t you at least curious?” 

“Well, yeah,” Dean admitted. “But I don’t think—”

“You do realize most of the bad stuff you’ve heard is just propaganda to make them look bad, right?” Jess explained. “Sure, people have done horrible things in their name, but it is a peaceful organization.” 

Dean didn’t respond, just looked around nervously for anyone he might recognize from the facility. He kept imagining Benny, or Charlie, or god forbid Crowley running into him here. How was he supposed to explain that? Especially when Dean’s brother and his fiancée were both holding rather incriminating signs that they made themselves. 

A few people on the periphery were holding things with criticisms of the movement written on them, but the crowd was generally ignoring them and going out of their way to move in front of them so that the media cameras wouldn’t get them on screen. Oh god, the media was here. He would have to be really careful he didn’t end up with his face broadcast all over the 6 o’clock news. 

Dean turned back to Sam. He wanted to tell him that he had to leave, but before he could the crowd started to absolutely roar as someone familiar walked onto the stage. 

It was Sarah Blake. Dean recognized her from countless interviews and magazine covers. She took a no-holds approach to the criticisms of angel captivity, and had been one of the most outspoken advocates for angel rights even before she founded FAA. 

It took several minutes for the crowd to calm down enough for her to speak. Dean was surprised she could stand there, unblinking, while the lights of thousands of cameras flashed right at her. Eventually, however, she raised her hand and the crowd fell silent. 

“Thank you,” she started, and she sounded truly genuine. “I’m always humbled and amazed by how many of you support this truly worthy cause.” There was a loud cheer, and then she continued. “As you know, the rates of angel capture have more than doubled in the past—”

Dean didn’t listen to the rest of Sarah’s speech, because suddenly his eyes locked with a familiar pair and he felt his chest fill with ice. Crowley. The manager was standing several hundred feet away from him, but was staring at him with an amused expression on his face. He waved cheerfully at Dean, a soft pretzel in his hand, and motioned him over. 

Dean looked at Sam and Jess. They were both captivated by Sarah Blake’s speech and didn’t seem to notice the sudden exchange or change in Dean’s demeanor. Dean tapped Sam on the shoulder gently, and eventually his brother turned to look at him with a look of slight irritation. 

“What?” 

“Hey, um , I have to go to the bathroom,” Dean stammered. Sam frowned with concern. 

“Are you okay? You look really pale, dude.” 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just… bathroom.” 

“Okay,” Sam still looked hesitant. “You sure?” 

“Don’t miss the speech,” Dean forced himself to smile. Sam nodded and reluctantly turned his attention back on the stage. He looked back to Crowley, who was still standing in the crowd and smiling cheerfully at him. Well, he may as well get this over with. 

“Dean, good to see you,” Crowley called out as he approached. “Want a pretzel?” 

“No, thanks,” Dean mumbled. Crowley frowned. 

“You okay, mate? You’re looking a bit off color.” 

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. Crowley shrugged and looked back up at the stage. 

“So, anything to report on the Alpha?” he asked conversationally. Dean narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He had been expecting a chew-out. 

“Um… no, not really,” Dean replied. “He was really worried about Anna, and seemed relieved when I told him she was okay. He obviously knew her. She must have been from his clan.” 

“Hmm, interesting,” Crowley replied. “Thanks, that could end up being useful later.” 

“Useful?”

“You know, leverage and all that. Blah blah blah.” 

Dean didn’t feel good about this. He didn’t feel good about this at all. He wasn’t sure why Crowley would need leverage with Castiel, but it made him incredibly uncomfortable. And why hadn’t he asked Dean yet what he was doing at an anti-Crossroads inc. protest? Come to think of it, what was Crowley doing here? Dean's confusion must have shown on his face, because Crowley immediately spoke up. 

“Hey, what you do in your personal time is none of my concern,” Crowley said. “Just get me results. That’s all I care about, got it?” 

Dean nodded. “And why are you—”

“Know thy enemy and all that jazz, right?” Crowley shrugged, taking another bite of the pretzel. “Besides, these angel-loving hippie girls are quite nice in the sack—”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Dean groaned. “I don’t need the visual.” 

“Come to think of it, Dean. I did have something I needed to ask you.” His tone was suddenly serious, and Dean felt his nervous dread return. 

“Yeah?” 

“I need Castiel to consent to testing,” Crowley explained. “Immediately.” 

“What? Why?” Dean asked. “There’s no way—”

“—How do you think we get our funding, Dean? Research grants?” Crowley was speaking to him like he was an ignorant child now and Dean hated it. He clenched his first tightly to keep himself from socking the smarmy British bastard across the jaw. He hated being talked to that way. 

“Down boy,” Crowley laughed, obviously noticing Dean’s turn of mood. “Castiel is absolutely vital right now. We received a huge influx in funding when we bagged him, but our backers want results. That’s where you come in, my boy.” 

“No way,” Dean shook his head. “After what Alastair was doing to him? There’s no way he would let you guys anywhere near him. Sorry. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t convince him.” 

“You better,” Crowley said, suddenly serious. “Either you get him to cooperate willingly, or we make him cooperate. Got it?” 

Dean gulped heavily. After everything Castiel had been through, the idea of another Alastair poking at him against his will was horrifying. “How am I supposed to do that?” he finally asked. “He won’t listen to me.” 

“He better, Dean,” Crowley replied lightly, still not taking his eyes off the stage. “I’m sure you’ll think of something. He seems rather… smitten with you.”

“What?” Dean suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, and looked down at the ground. Yeah, Castiel obviously liked him more than Alastair, but that was really no surprise. It wasn’t like it meant anything though. Especially not what Crowley was implying. 

“Come on, Dean. Are you really that thick?” Crowley seemed annoyed. “Let’s just say you have more leverage than you think you do. Get creative.” 

“…If I do get Cas to agree to this, which I probably won’t, but if I do—”

“—Yes? Get on with it.”

“—You have to promise me that you won’t hurt him.” 

“Of course,” Crowley gasped in mock offense. “What do you take me for?” 

“Someone who will do anything he needs to get what he wants.” Dean wasn’t sure what possessed him to say it, but he was half expecting Crowley to fire him on the spot for his insolence. Instead, he just looked mildly amused. 

“You’re learning, kid. Maybe there is some hope for you after all.” 

~*~  
The next day at the facility, Dean felt like his were nerves practically on fire. He was worried about what he was going to say to Castiel. What could he possibly say to convince the Alpha to submit to testing? Even after two years no one had been able to accomplish that, and Alastair’s behavior was not going to make it any easier. He was pretty sure Castiel would rather die than help humans - period, especially the ones that took him away from his clan. 

Castiel was waiting by the bars with a soft smile when Dean approached, and that just made the whole thing even worse. His heart felt like a stone as he sat across from the Alpha, and Castiel tilted his head to the side with concern. 

“Dean? Are you all right?” 

“Huh?” Dean looked up and forced himself to smile. “Yeah, just tired I guess.” 

“You can sleep,” Castiel offered, his voice soft. “Benny already went home. No one will be around this way until morning.” 

Dean felt warmed by the Alpha’s concern and kind words. He shook his head. “Nah, that’s okay. I’d actually rather spend time with you.” 

Castiel’s eyes widened slightly in shock at Dean’s words, but his wings fluffed in excitement and joy. Dean felt like he was going to be sick. 

“Do you want a Snickers?” Dean asked, and Castiel nodded rapidly. He pulled the bar out of his backpack and handed it to the angel. Castiel once again split it in half and offered part of it to Dean. Dean shook his head. 

“I’m actually not that hungry, Cas,” he explained, but he did notice the mild disappointment that flitted across the angel’s face. “But don’t worry, I brought more. Maybe later.” 

Castiel nodded and made quick work of the candy, then wiped his chocolate covered fingers on the grass. 

“Cas—,” Dean began, then stopped. How was he supposed to say this? No matter how he played it in his mind, it never came out right. “Listen. We’re… friends. Right?” 

Castiel didn’t respond right away, but Dean noticed the way his eyes softened and his wings dropped slightly. He scooted closer to the bars until his knees were practically pressed against them and nodded. Dean felt some of the anxiety leave him, and took a deep breath. 

“Can I ask you something then?” Dean questioned rapidly. Castiel nodded solemnly. 

“Of course, Dean. Anything.” 

“It must get pretty lonely, right? Being by yourself all the time?” 

Castiel seemed slightly taken aback by Dean’s question, and Dean was about to apologize when the Alpha finally responded. “Yes, sometimes.” 

“I know,” Dean replied, looking down at the ground and kicking his foot against the bar in frustration. “It isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that you have be locked up in a cage like this. Like—like some animal or something.” 

“Many of you humans see us that way,” Castiel replied coolly. Dean nodded. 

“I know, and it’s wrong. It’s so wrong, Cas. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry we did this to you. To your clan.” 

“Dean,” Castiel said firmly, and Dean was too shocked to pull away when Castiel reached his hand through the bars and grasped one of his hands in his own. “You didn’t do anything to me. You must understand that.” 

“I didn’t do anything to stop it though,” Dean whispered, his head still hung low. Castiel squeezed his hand tightly and Dean finally lifted his head to meet his gaze. 

“You saved me, Dean,” Castiel said firmly, never breaking eye contact. “You’ve done more for me than the rest of your species combined. I trust you. I can say that about no other human.” 

Dean was both overjoyed and horrified by Castiel’s words. He trusted him. He trusted him and Dean was about to betray him.

“What was it you needed to talk to me about?” Castiel suddenly asked, still holding Dean’s hand loosely in his own. 

“…Nothing,” Dean lied, and gently pulled his hand away. “Hey, how about we have that other Snickers now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're still enjoying! You are all amazing <3\. Please comment/kudos if you liked? :3 
> 
> (I changed my URL again (sorry!). It is now Starlightstiel.tumblr.com .)


	13. Touching

Dean wasn’t sure how to broach the subject with Castiel, so he went out of his way to avoid it for the next several days. He knew the Alpha could tell something was wrong, but thankfully he didn’t push it. Crowley hadn’t given him an exact time frame, but he knew that if he took too long they wouldn’t bother with getting Castiel’s consent.

He met Sam for coffee during his brother’s lunch break. The Starbucks was close to the campus, where Dean was taking classes, and the FAA headquarters, where Sam worked. Dean still couldn’t believe his brother had actually signed on with a radical angel rights group, but the more he learned about how angels were really treated in captivity, the more he sympathized with it.

“You okay?” Sam asked, looking curiously at Dean’s untouched drink. Dean sighed and nodded, taking a sip of his now-lukewarm coffee to appease his brother.

“Sorry, just thinking about some stuff.”

“Nothing to do with that creep, Alastair, right?” Sam asked urgently. Dean laughed and shook his head.

“Don’t worry. Haven’t heard from him since Crowley sacked him.”

“Good,” Sam muttered, taking another sip of his coffee with a scowl on his face.

“What about you?” Dean asked, leaning forward. “How’re the hippies treating you? You must fit right in with that hair.”

“Dean, about FAA…” Sam looked around quickly, breathing a sigh of relief when he realized they were alone. “I need to ask you a favor.”

“We’ve talked about this,” Dean said, distressed. “I can’t—”

“Just hear me out, okay?” Sam pleaded. Dean nodded reluctantly, and Sam continued. “We know there’s _something_ going on at Crossroads, okay? They’re a private corporation, but they receive government funding. That means they have to be able to show documentation of all of their research and expenses, as well as what money is going in and what is going out.”

“Okay?” Dean asked, confused. Sam gave him an exasperated look and continued.

“I need something, _anything_ that you can find. You must have noticed something?”

“Sam…” Dean wanted to protest, but he knew that Sam wouldn’t be asking this of him unless he was really desperate. And there were things going on at Crossroads he was incredibly suspicious of, especially after Crowley’s comments about ‘forcing’ Castiel into testing. They would have to do something horrible to Castiel to get the Alpha docile enough for testing, and Dean couldn’t let that happen. “Okay, fine. But I need something more than that to go on.”

“Okay, so Crossroads got a huge influx of money a couple of years ago—”

“—Castiel,” Dean quickly said, eyes widening with shock. “That was because of Castiel.”

 “Problem is, it wasn’t just private donors. They received a lot of public money to fund that research, too.”

“Let me guess, nothing to show for it?” Dean asked. He already knew the story from Crowley. Sam seemed surprised, but nodded.

“Exactly. But,” he looked around again, and lowered his voice. “The records show the money was still used.”

“What?” Dean said, a bit louder than probably necessary. Sam immediately shushed him.

“Like I said, the money was used, but there are no results. Get my drift?”

“I thought the FAA was against angel experimentation anyways?” Dean asked suspiciously. “Why would they _want_ those experiments to be done?”

“They don’t,” Sam quickly reassured him. “But this is just one more way we can try and shut Crossroads down. Prove the money was used illicitly and cut off their government funding. They don’t make nearly enough from their private donors to continue operations.”

“I dunno,” Dean frowned, shaking his head. “How the hell am I supposed to prove that? I don’t know what they spend money on.”

“Just find _something,_ Dean. Literally anything,” Sam pleaded. “If you can get proof of mistreatment, that works too. Your new phone has a camera right?”

Dean nodded, but he still felt uneasy. “You do realize how illegal this is for me? I signed a non-disclosure agreement, Sam.”

“I know,” Sam replied, “and I wouldn’t be asking unless we really needed it. I really need this, Dean.”

“When are you and Jess getting married, anyways?” Dean asked, frantically trying to change the subject. Sam sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking a long sip of his coffee.

“We both decided we should put it off for a while.”

“What?” Dean stared at his brother, shocked. “Why?”

“That’s not important right now, okay?” Sam snapped. “Just… promise me you’ll at least try.”

“I can’t promise anything,” Dean warned, but he remembered Crowley’s threats to _force_ Castiel to submit to testing. He couldn’t let that happen either. “But, I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you!” Sam cried in relief, downing the rest of his coffee and sitting up to sling his coat back on. Dean frowned and remained seated.

“Leaving already? We’ve barely talked.”

“Sorry, work,” he shrugged apologetically, giving Dean a small smile.

“Don’t do anything illegal,” Dean warned, standing up so he could give Sam a quick hug. “And I want to hear more about why you’re postponing your wedding, okay?”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Sam grumbled while he untangled himself from Dean’s arms. “We’re not cancelling it. We both just have a lot going on right now.”

“Okay,” Dean replied. “Just… keep me updated?”

“Fine. Now I have to go.”

“Okay, okay,” Dean stepped back, frowning. Sam adjusted his scarf and gave his brother a small wave before departing. Dean watched him go, then sat back at the table to finish his coffee alone.

~*~

 “Something wrong?” Charlie asked, plopping down next to Dean and shoving the remaining third of her bagel into her mouth. Dean couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Nah,” he replied, looking around the break room. It had been a while since he’d stopped in here. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” Charlie asked, nudging him playfully.

“I need to ask Cas something,” he admitted, “and I don’t think he’s going to like it very much.”

“So you’re trying to figure out how to say it?” Charlie waggled her eyebrows as she gave Dean a once over. “My advice? Don’t beat around the bush.”

“So just come out and say it?” Dean didn’t look convinced, but Charlie nodded.

“I may not know Castiel as well as you do, but I’ve worked around enough angels to know that being straightforward honestly always works out for the best.”

“You don’t even know what I’m going to say,” Dean protested, looking down at his coffee. Charlie sighed and rolled her eyes.

“I think I have a pretttty good idea,” she teased. “And you want my opinion? I think Castiel feels the same.”

“…The same?” Dean asked, puzzled. Now he really was confused.

“Of course, you idiot,” she laughed. “You haven’t noticed the way he looks at you?”

“What are you talking about, Charlie?”

“Wait… What are you talking about?” Charlie countered.

“I have to ask him to agree to testing,” Dean confided, lowering his voice. Charlie’s eyes widened in shock.

“…Oh. I—yeah, I was not thinking that.”

Dean shook his head, still confused, but decided to ignore it. “So? Still think I should just come out and say that?”

“No,” Charlie laughed, “definitely not.”

“I was supposed to tell him days ago,” Dean mumbled. “I just—after what Alastair did to him, I don’t want to betray him like that. I don’t want him to think I’m the same.”

“Dean, listen,” Charlie sighed. “Castiel doesn’t see you as another Alastair, okay?”

“Then what do I do?”

“Explain the situation,” she suggested. “Tell him you would do anything not to have him do this, but there isn’t a choice.”

“He’s going to hate me,” Dean sighed. “I know he is.”

“You’re not the one forcing him into anything,” Charlie said comfortingly. “You’re just giving him the choice, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Hey, if he gets mad, you two can just kiss and make up, right?”

“Oh, shut up,” Dean groaned, kicking Charlie’s leg under the table. Charlie just laughed and stood up, tossing her empty cup into the trash on her way to the door.

“Good luck, Dean.”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded as she left. “Thanks.”

~*~

Dean approached Castiel’s enclosure that evening with dread, but with a strange kind of hope, too. Even if the Alpha was angry with him, the chance to save him from even more pain was worth it.

“Cas?” he called out, surprised when he didn’t see the angel waiting for him at the bars. He knew he shouldn’t expect that, but he still felt a small quiver of disappointment at the loss.

He saw a shuffling up in the trees, and settled down in his usual spot to wait for the angel to appear. Several minutes passed, however, and Castiel was still nowhere in sight.

“Hey!” Dean called up, suddenly concerned. What if Crowley had decided it wasn’t worth it and just went ahead and forced those experiments on Castiel anyways? What if he was nursing his wounds up in the canopy? “Cas? Are you okay?”

Dean breathed out a sigh of relief when he finally saw Castiel flutter lightly to the ground and approach the bars. As he got nearer, Dean noticed that he had something held loosely in his arms, and there was a proud smile on his face.

“Hey!” Dean waved, and when Castiel sat across from him Dean noticed he was holding an armful of fruit. “I was really worried about you, man.”

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Castiel immediately said, but Dean could tell the Alpha was trying to suppress another smile. He was happy that Dean had been worried about him.

“What’s that for?” Dean asked, staring at Castiel’s collection. He knew that angels in captivity were given a diet consisting mostly of fruits, nuts and seeds. But why was Castiel bringing his food over to the bars? “Did you not get a chance to eat yet?”

“I was saving this for you,” Castiel admitted, and Dean could almost swear he saw a faint reddening on the angel’s cheeks. The Alpha held out an apple, and Dean took it hesitantly.

“Are you sure?”

“Please,” Castiel encouraged him, watching his reactions carefully. Dean wasn’t sure what this was about—probably some weird reciprocation for the candy—but he shrugged and lifted the apple to his mouth, taking a large bite out of it. Castiel hummed in pleasure and his wings quivered with excitement.

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean smiled, taking another bite from the apple. It was delicious. “This is really great!”

“I’m glad,” Castiel immediately said. He sounded so sincere that Dean felt the fluttering feeling rise again in his chest. He didn’t even bother trying to push it down.

“I can’t eat all of that,” Dean laughed, as he finished the apple. Castiel had brought a _lot_. He must have been hoarding it for days. Castiel shook his head and tried to press a pear into his hand. Dean sighed and took it.

“Eat,” Castiel urged him, and Dean found himself complying without too much fuss. He felt bad for eating the angel’s food though. What had Castiel been eating if he was saving all of this for Dean?

Dean finally finished the pear, but when Castiel tried to shove an orange at him he had to put his foot down. “Cas, I can’t,” he said, “I’m way too full.”

“You can take it with you,” the Alpha pleaded, and finally Dean relented. Obviously making sure Dean had a week’s supply of fruit was important to him.

“I’ll take some of it,” Dean said, “but you need it too. You can’t just give me all your food.”

“You’ve lost weight,” Castiel stated, narrowing his eyes. Dean dropped the orange and stared at him.

“…What?”

“Since Alastair,” the Alpha explained. “You look smaller. I can tell.”

“Well—yeah,” Dean said, flustered and somewhat self-conscious. Yeah, he’d lost a few pounds since the incident, but it was hardly to the point of being noticeable. “I was in the hospital for a while, and let me tell you, that food sucks. And with my brother cooking for me? Even worse.”

“You’re getting enough food?” Castiel asked doubtfully. Dean couldn’t help but laugh, and nodded.

“Don’t worry, Cas. I’m eating enough, I promise.”

Castiel still didn’t seem convinced, but he reluctantly agreed when Dean said he would take a few pieces of fruit with him. They sat together in silence for a while, but Dean knew what had to be done. There was no use putting it off any longer.

“Hey, Cas?” he began hesitantly. Castiel perked his head up and smiled.

“Yes, Dean?”

“Listen—I have to ask you something,” Dean finally forced himself to say. “You have to promise you won’t get mad ‘til you hear me out though, okay?”

Castiel narrowed his eyes with suspicion, but slowly nodded. Dean took a deep breath and continued.

“Crowley said they have to do more tests on you,” Dean blurted out, then winced. He hadn’t meant to say it like that. Castiel’s eyes widened and he immediately drew his wings close to his body in a defensive gesture. Dean could feel his own heart breaking. “I told him you wouldn’t want to, I promise I did.”

“And?” Castiel asked icily. Dean gulped.

“He said they have to do the tests, but they’ll give you the choice of cooperating.” Castiel growled and Dean felt his heart sink. This was going about as well as he expected it to—which meant not at all. “Cas, you have to cooperate. Please. They’ll hurt you if you—”

“—No!” Castiel hissed, drawing back from the bars and flapping his wings in rage. Dean knew the Alpha was beyond pissed right now, but there was no other way.

“Cas, please,” Dean pleaded. “I don’t want them to hurt you. Don’t you understand? This is going to happen no matter what, at least if you do it willingly—“

“How dare you?” Castiel snarled, snapping his wings out in aggression. Dean’s eyes widened in shock, but he stayed seated at the bars. “After everything that happened—”

“How dare I try to protect you?” Dean finally snapped, standing up and leaning in as close to the bars as he could get. “How dare I risk my life to protect you? Or have you forgotten that, too?”

Castiel stood speechless for a moment, a feat Dean was actually quite proud of, but immediately the Alpha gave him the most hateful look he could muster and flew back up to the canopy. Dean laughed bitterly.

“So, running away?” he yelled up at the still leaves where Castiel had disappeared. There was no response. “Fuck you, Cas! I’m not letting you shut me out, not this time.”

Dean didn’t even realize what he was planning until he found himself next to the electrical box, and had the cover thrown open while he punched in a string of numbers he had learned from Benny after the Alastair incident.  His heart was pounding in his ears, just _pounding,_ and he didn’t care anymore about what happened. He just _had_ to make Castiel listen to him.

The small opening to the enclosure swung open, and Dean didn’t even hesitate before crouching down to crawl through. Castiel had poked his head out from the canopy, and was staring at Dean in shock while the human worked his way inside of the enclosure.

“Dean—What are you—“

“Get down here!” Dean bellowed when he finally entered the enclosure and stood on the soft grass. He marched to the tree where Castiel was perched, banging on the trunk with his fist and yelling up to the angel. “I said get down here, Castiel!”

The Alpha almost looked spooked by Dean’s sudden behavior, but after taking a moment to collect himself he descended to the ground. Dean instinctively took a step back, insecurity breaking through his blind rage.

“Dean?” Castiel asked hesitantly, less angry and more confused. His wings were carefully tucked behind him, and he seemed cautious of frightening the human. “What are you doing in here?”

“If you hadn’t run off like a coward, I wouldn’t be in here at all!”

Castiel’s wings twitched angrily at Dean’s words, but Dean was beyond caring at this point. Any temporary fear he had was immediately pushed aside by his anger. Castiel turned away from him, and readied his wings for flight, but Dean wasn’t going to let him get away. Not again.

“Stop!” he yelled, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of feathers from one of Castiel’s wings as the Alpha spread them.

It happened so quickly, Dean didn’t even have time to react. One second, he was standing directly behind Castiel, clutching his wing desperately to get him to stay. The next, he was being violently flung through the air, landing in a heap of grass and leaves.

Dean lay there, dazed. He was in shock at Castiel’s reaction. His shoulder was _aching_ where he landed on it _,_ but he knew after a few quick shrugs it wasn’t broken. He started to pull himself up into a sitting position, and immediately Castiel was beside him.

“I’m sorry,” the Alpha said frantically, running his hands over Dean’s shoulders, back and eventually his head. “I was just trying to shake you off, I didn’t think it would—“

“It’s okay,” Dean said numbly, still sitting in a startled calm. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you.”

“No,” Castiel shook his head vehemently. “This isn’t your fault. I hurt you.”

“I’m not hurt, Cas,” Dean reassured him. “I’m fine.”

“Did you hit your head?” the angel asked anxiously, reaching his hand out once more to feel along the back of Dean’s head.

“No, just my shoulder.”

Castiel immediately turned his attention there, and Dean sighed in relief when he felt the soothing aura slowly make the pain fade. Dean watched the Alpha, and felt guilty at the look of utter heartbreak on Castiel’s face. The angel really thought he had hurt him.

“Are you okay?” Dean asked, and Castiel finally made eye contact with him.

“Dean?”

“You’re upset,” Dean answered, reaching a hand out to place comfortingly on Castiel’s shoulder. The Alpha smiled sadly and shook his head.

“At myself. Not you.”

“Cas, it’s okay,” Dean said, finally pulling himself to his feet despite Castiel’s concerned, hovering presence. “I know you didn’t mean to.”

“That isn’t an excuse.”  

“Yeah, well, it is to me,” Dean shrugged, wincing slightly as he rolled his left shoulder. Castiel looked crushed. Dean forced himself to smile at the Alpha, and was pleased when he got a reluctant smile in return.  

“I understand you want to help me,” Castiel said softly, his wings set as low and unthreatening as possible. “But I’m sorry, I can’t willingly do this testing.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Dean sighed, shaking his head. “Cas, if you don’t agree to this they’re going to hurt you.”

“I’m used to it,” the Alpha replied, and he said it so dismissively that Dean felt his heart break.

“Hey,” Dean asked, stepping a bit closer. “Do you mind that I’m in here?”

Castiel shook his head quickly. “No. Of course not.”

“Good,” Dean grinned, sitting at the base of the tree and resting his back against the trunk. “I’m already in here. Might as well stay a while. Hey, do you have another apple?”

Castiel stared at Dean in shock for a moment, then nodded quickly and went to retrieve it while his wings shook with joy. Dean closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree, breathing in deeply. He knew what he had to do now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while! I've been having a really hectic week @_@. Anyways, thanks for reading <3! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Things are starting to progress a bit with Dean and Cas' relationship, and you should see more of that with the next update so please stay tuned!


	14. Grooming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read yet, so expect mistakes. I will remove this message once the beta-ed version is up if you want to wait for that.

Dean was giddy beyond belief when he finally left the facility in the early morning light and made his way home. He had been up all night, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, so he didn’t even try. The entire night had been spent in Castiel’s enclosure, just talking and listening to the surprisingly docile Alpha. If Dean hadn’t seen the way Castiel had acted around Alastair, and even Dean himself when they first met, he would have thought him tame as a kitten. 

Dean set his backpack gently down on the kitchen counter when he finally made it back to his apartment. He unzipped it slowly, and grinned stupidly when a couple of the apples Castiel had urged him to take rolled out onto the shiny granite. Dean just stared at them for a few minutes, grin still plastered on his face, and finally picked one up and took a large bite. It was the best apple he had ever had—unrivaled. 

Eventually he did succumb to sleep (but not before going through all of his textbooks and reading up as much he possibly could on angel food sharing), and when he woke up several hours later he was dismayed to see that it was almost time to head back in. He wondered if Castiel would let him get back into the enclosure with him. He sure hoped so. 

He wasn’t expecting Becky to pull him aside when he entered the building, and was even more surprised when she told him that Crowley needed to see him immediately. His heart dropped at the urgent look on her face. Was he in trouble? He knew that his actions last night had been recorded, but Ash was working security. Ash wouldn’t have ratted him out, right? 

He bit his nails nervously as he sat on the couch outside of Crowley’s office, waiting for the manager to call him in. If it wasn’t about last night, it was probably about whether or not Castiel had consented to testing. He hoped that Crowley didn’t expect an answer this soon—he still had hope he might be able to change the Alpha’s mind. 

“Dean?” 

Dean looked up in surprise at Crowley’s voice. The older man was peeking out of the doorway and grinning at him, then motioned for him to come in. Well, he seemed to be in a good mood. That had to be a good sign. 

“Mr. Crowley,” Dean said politely, closing the door at Crowley’s motioning and sitting in the chair in front of his desk. Crowley hummed in acknowledgement as he sat down as well, typing something into his computer and then laughing before turning his attention back to Dean. 

“You, lad, have exceeded all of my expectations,” Crowley said. 

“Um, what?” Dean questioned, not following. 

“Can I tell you something? I didn’t think you had it in you.” 

“Had what in me?” Dean asked, puzzled. 

“Let me just say, good ol’ Cas is falling for you hook, line and sinker. I trust you’re getting results?” 

Dean blushed furiously when he realized what Crowley was talking about. He actually thought Dean was seducing the Alpha to get him to agree to testing. The thought made Dean sick. 

“He doesn’t want the tests,” Dean replied. Crowley frowned. 

“Well of course he doesn’t want them, but will he do them?”

“No,” Dean admitted, but then hurried to add, “but I’m making progress! I just need more time.” 

Crowley grimaced slightly, shaking his head. “That’s the problem, boy, we don’t have any time.” 

“You’ll have to make it, then,” Dean shot back. He had finally found his footing. Crowley looked surprised. 

“Excuse me?”

“I know what you’ll have to do to him if he doesn’t agree to those tests willingly,” Dean replied, straightening his back as he tried to keep his voice level. “I also happen to know that it would probably be considered unethical.” 

“What are you suggesting?” Crowley asked, his eyes narrowing. 

“I’m just saying,” Dean continued, lowering his voice and leaning forward, “it would be terrible if something slipped.”

“Slipped?” 

“Just imagine what a group like, say, the FAA could do with something like that.” 

Crowley looked visibly shocked at Dean’s suggestion, but it only took him a moment to school his expression back to one of extreme control and slight bemusement. “You have no evidence.” 

“I don’t?” Dean raised an unimpressed eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been in this facility for months, Crowley. You have no idea what I’ve seen—what I’ve had access to. You think I don’t have anything? You think I don’t know what you did with that money?” 

It was a complete shot in the dark, he had no idea what the facility had done with the government grants that were supposed to be spent on Castiel. He had a hunch that it was something Crossroads wanted to keep quite though, and if Crowley’s startled and spooked expression was anything to go by, he was right. If he was lucky, his bluff would work. 

“How did you—” Crowley began, but quickly shut his mouth and gave Dean a hard stare. Dean forced himself to smile back smugly, even though he felt like his insides were about to liquefy. If he wanted his bluff to work, he had to at least act confident. Truth be told, he didn’t have anything that could even be remotely of value to the FAA or any other organization intent on bringing Crossroads down. Still, he couldn’t let Crowley know that. 

“Tell you what,” Crowley sighed, pulling out a pocket planner and flipping through it. “I might be able to squeeze another week.” 

“He’s not going to agree,” Dean replied. Crowley sighed and set his planner down, pressing his fingers together and resting his chin on them as he leaned toward Dean. 

“Listen, kid, this testing is going to happen. I know you think you’re being noble—” 

“—I know that you’re not going to touch Cas if he doesn’t want you to,” Dean growled, and he was surprised at the venomous conviction he could hear in his voice. 

“One week,” Crowley reiterated, turning back to his computer. Dean got the feeling that he had just been dismissed. He didn’t want to let Crowley have the last word, but he would take his small victory where he could. At least he knew for sure now—Crossroads was hiding something, and Crowley seemed convinced that Dean knew what it was. 

When it was clear Crowley was focusing intently on ignoring Dean’s existence, he got up and walked to the door. He glanced once more at the seated man, wondering if he should say anything, but decided to leave their conversation as it was. A week wasn’t nearly enough for what he had in mind, but he didn’t want to risk losing even that. 

He didn’t shut the door when he left. He wanted Crowley to have to do it himself. It was petty, but he couldn’t suppress the smile on his face when he heard an irritated huff and a slamming door behind him. 

~*~

Dean was distracted when he finally made his way to Castiel’s enclosure, and the Alpha picked up on it immediately. His wings fluttered slightly in concern, and he stood up from where he had been sitting by the bars (waiting for Dean?). Dean forced a smile and waved as he approached. 

“Dean,” Castiel said by way of greeting, looking the human up and down carefully. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah,” Dean replied, finally reaching the bars. “Sorry, I was just talking to someone.” 

He didn’t want to tell Castiel about Crowley. He knew the Alpha would worry, and there was really nothing he could do about it anyways. It was better to keep this quiet until his plan was more concrete. 

“I have something for you,” Castiel said, his posture becoming noticeably shyer. Dean grinned and leaned forward so his face was almost pressed against the bars, only inches from Castiel’s. 

“Really?” 

“Yes,” Castiel affirmed, his eyes flickering down briefly before returning to Dean’s. Dean was beyond curious, but he tried to school his expression into one of vague interest. He didn’t want the angel to think he was too eager. 

Castiel retreated back into his enclosure, and Dean immediately missed the proximity. The angel crouched next to the river, his wings fluffing slightly as he adjusted into a comfortable position, and he looked expectantly at Dean. 

Dean wasn’t stupid. He could see the unspoken question in the Alpha’s eyes. Castiel wanted him to come into the enclosure like he had before. Dean closed his eyes and did a quick calculation in his mind—it was a Thursday, which meant that Ash wasn’t working. Then again, Crowley already knew that he had been in Castiel’s enclosure. There was no point in trying to hide his activities now. 

He made his way over to the control box and slowly punched in the numbers, secretly enjoying the impatient way Castiel kept looking over at him. Finally, the small gate swung open, and Dean squeezed himself, and his bag, inside. 

He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel at least a little bit of apprehension when he approached the Alpha, but it was so faint it didn’t bother him. Castiel was becoming less and less threatening to him by the day, and he didn’t feel like he was in any danger at all. 

“Get me a present, Cas?” Dean grinned as he approached the Alpha. Castiel’s mouth turned up for a moment, but he quickly suppressed the burgeoning smile. 

“Of sorts.” 

“What is it?” Dean asked, flopping down to his knees next to where Castiel was crouched. 

“Close your eyes,” Castiel said solemnly, and Dean felt his heart begin to beat a bit faster. For the first time, uncertainty began to creep into his chest. He obliged though. As unsure as he was, he trusted Castiel. 

He waited for several moments with his eyes shut, every small sound making him flinch with nerves. Castiel said nothing and, as far as Dean could hear, did nothing. The moments continued to tick by, and still there was no sign of movement from the angel in front of him. He felt his senses growing sharper by the second, waiting for anything. 

“Keep them closed,” Castiel whispered from behind Dean, and he flinched violently at the sudden change in position. How had the angel moved without him hearing? 

“O-okay,” Dean replied, his voice much shakier than he had intended. There was no use in trying to fake bravado now, it was obvious he was mildly terrified. Castiel just hummed in satisfaction at his answer, obviously pleased that he trusted him enough to comply with his strange request. 

It was probably fortunate for Dean that Castiel was so fast, because suddenly Dean felt strong arms gripping him and hoisting him up. It wasn’t until he realized his feet weren’t touching the ground that it dawned on him—they were flying. 

He was going to panic—he really was—but before he could even form a coherent thought they had landed. Dean kept his eyes squeezed shut, more from terror than Castiel’s forgotten request. The angel kept a firm grip on his arm, and finally told Dean he could open his eyes. 

Dean obliged slowly, cracking one minutely to take in his surroundings. Instantly he knew where they were. It was Castiel’s tree, the one he always escaped to when he didn’t want to be bothered. Dean knew the angel wouldn’t let him fall, but he took a step closer anyways. The branch looked sturdy enough, but it made him nervous that it was now supporting the weight of an adult human and an angel. 

“Look,” Castiel urged, still holding Dean’s arm with one of his hands to help him balance, and using the other to point forward. Dean followed the motion, and sucked in a sharp breath at what he saw. 

It was beautiful. Breathtaking. He had truly never seen anything like it. At the point where several branches met the trunk, Castiel had created some kind of elaborate dwelling. It was hidden completely from below by thick foliage, and Dean had the feeling that he was the only one (aside from Castiel) who even knew of its existence. 

Old blankets, clothes and soft leaves were thrown over a base of smaller branches and twigs, creating a large, bowl-shaped nest. It spanned at least five feet, and the sides where so high that Dean would probably barely be able to see over the edge if he were sitting down in it. Part of it was covered by a large blanket thrown over a medium-sized branch, creating a shaded area to escape from the sun. 

That wasn’t the most breathtaking part, however. Bits of glass and translucent plastic, of every color Dean could imagine, hung from the branches by thin threads and reflected a prism of brilliance from the setting sun. It was a mosaic of dancing light, and Dean was mesmerized by it. 

Castiel seemed extremely satisfied by Dean’s awed reaction, and he fluffed his wings in pride as the human continued to stare, speechless. Finally, he spoke. 

“How did you get all of this stuff?”

“Two years and a lot of patience,” Castiel replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. “They stopped giving me glass when I stopped giving it back though.” 

“I don’t know what to say,” Dean said. “This is… This is amazing, Cas.” 

“Thank you,” Castiel replied warmly, urging Dean forward gently. “It’s nothing compared to home. But… I doubt I’ll ever be there again.” 

“This must have taken forever.” Dean let out a low whistle as they finally reached the nest. It was even more impressive up close. 

“I do have a lot of free time,” Castiel deadpanned, but Dean was almost 100% sure it was his attempt at a joke. He laughed just in case. Still, the idea of Castiel being stuck in here for two years with nothing to do but build an elaborate nest he would never be able to share was almost too sad to bear. 

“I could bring you some stuff,” Dean offered, and Castiel cocked his head to the side in confusion. 

“Stuff?” 

“To pass the time. Books and stuff,” Dean explained. Castiel nodded. 

“I would like that, Dean. Thank you.” 

“No problem. Hey… how sturdy is this thing?” 

“It is quite strong, I assure you.” 

“Can I?” Dean asked, feeling strangely bold. Castiel seemed to be startled by the forward request, but he nodded. Dean hesitantly lifted one leg over the tall edge of the nest and tested his footing inside. When he was satisfied he wasn’t going to fall through and break his neck on the distant ground, he placed his other foot inside and sat down with his bag. Castiel was right. He felt a lot safer in here than out on that branch. He looked up, and was surprised to see that Castiel was watching him with a look of surprise on his face. 

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked. “This is okay, right?”

Castiel nodded hastily, Dean’s words snapping him out of his shock. “Yes. Of course.” 

“You can sit in here too, you know. I’m sure there’s enough room.” 

Castiel nodded, but he seemed weirdly shy when he also climbed into the nest and sat opposite Dean. There were several feet between them, but the Alpha seemed nervous. 

“What?” Dean asked again, worried this time. “Do you think it’s going to break with both of us in here?” 

“No,” Castiel said quickly. “I’m sorry. I just… never thought I would see someone here.” 

“I guess you never counted on making an awesome friend like me, then,” Dean grinned. Castiel smiled weakly and nodded. 

“Hey, Cas?” Dean asked, his voice a bit softer. “You asked me to trust you back there, and I did. Can I ask the same of you? Can I ask you to trust me?” 

Castiel remained silent for several moments, but finally gave him a small nod. “Yes.”

“Okay, come here then,” Dean urged, patting the space of the nest right in front of him. Castiel swallowed heavily and scooted forward. Dean rolled his eyes. “Come on Cas, I’m not going to bite.” 

Finally Dean managed to coax Castiel into sitting right in front of him, and the Alpha’s nerves seemed to be settling if the fluffing of his wings was anything to go by. Like before, he could tell they had been freshly and carefully groomed. Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re such a show off. Okay. Turn around.” 

“What?” Castiel asked, not seeming to understand Dean’s request. 

“You heard me; turn around. Trust, right?” 

Castiel didn’t seem to have a reply for him, because he carefully scooted around so his back (and his wings) were facing Dean. He seemed nervous about it though, and Dean realized why as soon as he saw the Alpha’s wings from behind. It confirmed his suspicions. 

The Alpha’s wings were beautiful, and the feathers were well groomed. They were obviously Castiel’s pride. Sadly, those nearest to the base were dull and uneven, and some stuck out at odd angles that looked almost painful. Two years without family or a mate to help groom them had taken its toll on the angel’s poor feathers. 

“I’m going to touch your wings,” Dean said. “No flinging me out of the nest, got it?” 

Castiel started at Dean’s words, but finally nodded. “I’m sorry about—”

“—Shh, no apologizing,” Dean chided. He reached forward hesitantly, and stroked his finger gently down one of the awkwardly protruding feathers. Castiel flinched in what appeared to be extreme discomfort. Well, that confirmed it. He grasped the small feather as gently as he could and tried to arrange it so it lay flat against the others. 

There were several more feathers like the first, and it took a lot longer than Dean expected just to get them all into what appeared to be the right position (he hoped it was, his expertise was behavior, not anatomy). Castiel’s shoulders did seem visibly relaxed when he was done though, and he hoped that was a good sign. 

Now that the feathers were lying flat, he had to deal with the fact they hadn’t been washed or preened in two years. Even Castiel’s dips in the river had done little to clean them. Thankfully he had thought to bring his bag with him into the enclosure (Castiel needed his daily Snickers, after all), because he pulled out his water bottle and poured a bit of it over the feathers. Castiel started at the sensation, but a quick word of reassurance from Dean had him relaxing once more. 

Dean used his fingers to work the liquid through the feathers, washing the dust and grime out of them. Occasionally he found small twigs and leaves stuck in them, and he winced in sympathy for Castiel. That could not have been comfortable. 

He worked on the angel’s wings for what must have been at least an hour. Castiel remained completely silent, but Dean could practically feel the Alpha’s gratitude seeping into his fingertips. When he was finally satisfied, he leaned back and gave Castiel a friendly nudge to signify he was done. The Alpha spread his wings experimentally, and Dean smiled at the pleased noise the Alpha made as he moved them. 

“Thank you, Dean,” Castiel whispered, turning to face him. He looked happier than Dean had ever seen him, and there was something else hidden beneath his joy that Dean couldn’t identify, but it made his heart warm. 

“Anytime,” Dean replied, grinning. “I brought you a Snickers too. I’m awesome, right?” 

“You are a very special human.” Castiel said it so seriously that Dean felt his face flush with embarrassment at the unexpected compliment. 

“Whatever dude. Let’s just eat, okay?” 

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! Things have been super hectic. I'm on summer break now though, so expect more writing! :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter. 
> 
> starlightstiel.tumblr.com


	15. Trespassing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not yet beta-read. If you would prefer to wait for the beta-ed version it should be up soon, and I will remove this message once it is.
> 
> This chapter is pretty plot heavy, but I hope you guys enjoy it.

Dean wanted to share everything with Castiel. The first thing he did when he finally got home (after taking a nap—he had worked all night) was look through the books placed haphazardly around his apartment so he could bring them to the angel. Vonnegut, his favorite Star Trek novelizations, and even the Hunger Games trilogy (he could never admit his love of it to anyone else, but he knew that Castiel wouldn’t judge). 

He was in the middle of downloading as many movies onto his laptop as possible to watch with Castiel next time: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Grease—he felt personally responsible for the angel’s pop culture education—when the harsh knocking on his door nearly sent his laptop crashing to the ground as he sat up suddenly. He glanced over at his clock—9:15 PM—and then back at the door. Sam?

He was surprised when he saw Jessica through the glass—without Sam— and immediately opened the door to let her in. She didn’t even mutter a greeting before she was pushing her way inside. She sat down heavily on his old couch, but within moments, she stood up again and then took a seat at the kitchen table. This seemed to be unacceptable as well. Eventually she settled for standing near the kitchen counter and wringing her hands. 

“Jess?” Dean asked hesitantly, closing the door behind her. “Is everything okay?”

“You have to talk to your brother,” she blurted out without preamble. Dean furrowed his brow in confusion. 

“Why? Is Sam in some kind of trouble?” 

“He will be if you don’t talk him out of this,” she replied, and Dean felt himself getting frustrated with her vagueness. If Sam was in trouble, he had to know why. 

“Talk him out of what?” Dean pushed, his voice rising slightly with panic. Jess pulled a folded piece of paper out of her purse and thrust it out at him, her mouth clenched into a thin line. He could tell she was scared by the way her fingers shook as he took the letter. 

He unfolded it slowly, afraid of what he might find there. He was surprised to see that there were only a few words on it, handwritten in the sloppy cursive he immediately recognized as Sam’s. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he read the message several times, not comprehending what it was about. He looked up at Jess, hoping for some clarification. She was looking at him expectantly. He looked back down at the note. 

10:30. Crossroads. 10/14

“They’re going to Crossroads tomorrow morning?” He ventured. “Good luck getting anyone to talk to him. Gordon won’t even let him through the gate.” 

“Not tomorrow, Dean. Tonight.”

“Tonight?” Dean was confused for a moment. Crowley wouldn’t be there—in fact, none of the managers would be. What would be the point of— wait. Suddenly it hit him. “He’s going to break in.” 

“Bingo.” Jess laughed bitterly. “I can’t believe how stupid this whole idea is.” 

“Why?” Dean asked, still in shock. “He’ll get kicked out of school if he gets caught. Not to mention thrown in jail.” 

“That’s what I tried to tell him! But you know how he is—once his mind is made up…” 

Dean glanced at the clock—9:20. He quickly grabbed his keys off of the table and shrugged his jacket on over his pajama shirt. “Come on—we need to leave now.”

Jess didn’t seem to have any complaints, she just followed him silently. They didn’t speak until Dean had the Impala speeding down the road, and he realized he left his keycard at home. There was no time to go back for it though, hopefully whoever was on guard duty recognized him. 

“So,” Dean began after minutes of silence, “are you going to tell my why my brother is trying to break into one of the most secure facilities in the state?”

“It’s the damn FAA,” Jess spat. “What else?” 

“Why do they want him to break in? Wouldn’t that make them look bad if he gets caught?” 

“Sam said Crossroads is suing them for slander,” Jess explained. “I don’t know the details, but Sam said the case doesn’t look good. It doesn’t help that the FAA has such a bad reputation in the first place.” 

“So what, they decided to add breaking and entering to the list?” Dean asked, shocked. 

“If they can find proof that Crossroads really is mistreating angels, the lawsuit won’t hold any water.” 

“With the added benefit of getting the public on their side,” Dean muttered. “This is so fucked up. How could Sam even think this was a good idea? What does he hope to find?” 

“Maybe the video you told him about,” Jess suggested. “The one with Alastair.”

“It’s gone—remember?”

“True, but he thinks there may be other tapes.”

“How would he even find them?” Dean snarled, slamming his hands against the steering wheel in frustration. The whole situation was dumb and dangerous—he expected more from Sam. He raised him better than this. “If Sam was that desperate for a video, he should have asked me.” 

“He didn’t want to ask you,” Jess replied, her voice a bit softer. “He didn’t want to drag you into this.” 

“Yeah?” Dean barked out a laugh as he slowed the Impala and turned into the empty parking lot of the facility. “A bit too late for that. 

Sam’s car was nowhere in sight, but he figured that it wouldn’t be that easy. He looked down at his watch again—9:45. Sam was always early, but he hoped they were here in time. He motioned for Jess to follow him as he approached the gate. 

“This is private property,” the man immediately said as they approached, reaching for something under the counter that Dean couldn’t see. “I suggest you leave.”

Dean had seen this guard only a handful of times, and unfortunately it didn’t look like he remembered him. 

“I’m an intern,” Dean said, giving the man his most charming smile. “I have night clearance. I left a few things in my locker—just came to pick them up.” 

“Name?” the man asked, still eyeing them suspiciously as he turned the screen of the small computer on. 

“Winchester, Dean.” 

The guard didn’t say anything as he quickly typed something on the keyboard, and Dean noticed that he relaxed a bit when he turned back to him. 

“Looks like you actually do have clearance. Alright, I just need to see your access card and you’re good to go. Your girlfriend will have to stay outside though.” 

“She’s not my—“ Dean sighed and shook his head, reaching his hand into his pocket. His heart plummeted when he realized it was empty though. He forgot he didn’t have his card. 

“Problem?” the guard asked, beginning to tense again. Dean gulped heavily and tried to act as cool as possible. 

“I think I left my card at home. You must have a picture of me on that screen though, right?” he asked hopefully. 

“Sorry, protocol is protocol,” the man replied icily. “No card, no access. That’s the rules.”

“Call Benny,” Dean pleaded. “He can vouch for me, this is seriously an emergency man—”

“—Then come back when you have it. I’ll be happy to let you in then. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.” 

“Dammit!” Dean groaned, kicking the gate with his foot. 

“Hey! Watch it!” the guard immediately yelled, and there was no room in his tone for argument. They weren’t getting in. Dean just hoped Sam hadn’t arrived yet. 

They made it back to the Impala and sat in the front seat, scanning the road for any sign of a vehicle. Dean could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of Jess—she was obviously just as worried as he was. He could understand why. Her fiancé was, quite possibly, about to commit a serious crime. 

He pulled his phone out and immediately dialed Benny’s number. He knew that the man was probably sleeping at this point—he came into work so early every day—but he didn’t know what else to do. Maybe he could pull some strings to get Dean into the facility, or at least contact someone on the night crew who might be able to intercept Sam before any serious damage would be done. 

The phone was just beginning to ring when he spotted headlights. He immediately hung up and flung his door open, running toward the approaching car. Jess called after him, but he wasn’t going to wait. This had to be Sam. 

The person who stepped out of the car was definitely not Sam. He recognized her immediately. Sarah Blake, the founder of the FAA. He was so shocked at her appearance he could do little but stare, mouth agape, as she looked around frantically. 

Jess finally caught up, and when her eyes fell on Sarah they narrowed with hate. “You.” 

“Jessica,” Sarah nodded in acknowledgement at her. “Where’s Sam?” 

“Where do you think?” Jess growled. 

“You mean he’s already inside?” Sarah bowed her head, eyes filled with regret. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Dean finally asked when he recovered enough to speak. “Don’t tell me—you’re the one that told him to do this.” 

“You must be Dean. He told me about you,” she replied, looking him up and down carefully. “Your brother knew exactly what this meant. He actually volunteered.” 

“Yeah? Then why the hell are you here? Grow a conscience?” 

“We have the evidence we need,” Sarah replied. “Believe it or not, some of the very people you work with every day are secretly collaborating with us.” 

“What?” 

“I was hoping to catch Sam before he—“ she looked at the distant gate, frowning. “It doesn’t matter. I’m obviously too late.” 

Dean could feel the panic in his chest growing by the minute. He had no idea how Sam found a way in, but they were trapped out here. 

“You work here,” Sarah said quickly. “Can’t you get inside?”

“No,” Dean forced through gritted teeth. “I can’t.” 

Sarah nodded and began to approach the gate, motioning for Dean and Jess to follow her. Dean couldn’t believe it. What was she thinking? 

“What the hell are you doing?” he whispered as they neared the guard station. 

“Just be quiet,” Sarah shot back, straightening her blouse and throwing her shoulders back. The guard noticed them as they got closer, and immediately leaned out. 

“You again?” he asked, catching sight of Dean. “I told you, no card no—”

“He’s with me,” Sarah said firmly when she reached the window. “Let us through.” 

The guard looked as though he were about to protest, but when he saw Sarah his eyes widened in shock. “W-what are you—”

“The gate, please.” 

The guard nodded hastily, and Dean was surprised to see the door swing open. 

“Thank you,” Sarah said curtly, and proceeded through it. Dean immediately followed, and after only a moment of hesitation Jess did as well. 

When Dean stayed overnight, he was always at Castiel’s enclosure. But seeing the rest of the facility shrouded in darkness was… well, creepy. 

“So,” Dean whispered as they walked through the empty hallways. “Why did you need Sam to do this if you could just waltz in?” 

“I’m not exactly low profile,” she retorted quietly. “It was much easier to sneak Sam through.” 

“Why not just send someone in your place then?” Dean questioned as they passed Becky’s desk. He finally realized where they were going—Crowley’s office. 

“The guard was only told to let Sam through—if I sent someone else they wouldn’t have been able to get to him.” 

“He let you through.” 

“Who do you think recruited him?” Sarah asked, stopping suddenly as they reached the empty office. The door was slightly ajar, which Dean thought was strange already. Much to his disappointment however, there was no sign of Sam when they entered. 

Sarah looked a bit confused. “He was supposed to be here.” 

“Maybe he already left?” Dean offered, but Sarah shook her head as she picked up a small piece of paper that was lying conspicuously on the floor. 

“What is it?” Jess asked anxiously as Sarah’s face paled. 

“Castiel… that’s their captive Alpha, right?” Sarah directed her comment at Dean, and he realized with embarrassment that Sam must have told her about their friendship. 

“Why?” Dean replied, suddenly wanting to see what was on that paper. “Does it say something about Cas?” 

“It’s a copy of an authorization.” 

“An authorization for what?” Dean asked, but he already knew. That smarmy bastard. 

“Testing,” Sarah replied, then glanced up at Dean. “Force authorized.” 

“Tonight?” Dean whispered. Leave it to Crowley to wait for a night he knew Dean wouldn’t be there. Sarah nodded. 

“Sam must be there. If he could catch them in the act—“ 

“We have to get to Cas,” Dean practically yelled, not caring who heard. He barely waited for Sarah and Jess as he ran out of the office, desperate to get to Castiel as soon as possible. He distantly heard their cries for him to slow down, but he couldn’t. He promised Castiel he wouldn’t let this happen to him again. 

Jess and Sarah barely managed to get into the Jeep before he was peeling out and heading down the dirt road. Sarah was staring in awe at the massive fences that marked the general population areas of the angel enclosure. 

“I’ve seen video,” she whispered to Jess, “but this is so different.” 

Jess ignored her, staring stone faced at the road ahead. 

When they reached the second building, Dean jumped out of the jeep without bothering to turn it off and ran to the doors. He pulled them as hard as he could, but they wouldn’t budge. He remembered now that they required a keycard. One that he didn’t have. 

“Come on,” Sarah urged him gently. “Follow me.” 

He complied as she crept around the side, and he was amazed at how well she knew the layout of the place considering she had never set foot in it. Then again, if she had people on the inside, it wasn’t all that surprising.

They finally reached the back, and all that stood between them and Castiel was a high chain fence. Definitely unclimbable. Dean turned to Sarah hopefully, but he felt his heart drop at the unsure look on her face. She hadn’t planned for this. 

“What now?” he asked, staring up the hateful barrier. 

“I don’t know,” Sarah replied apologetically. 

Dean could see Castiel’s enclosure through the fence. He could just make out the silhouette of the tree. The same tree that held the nest Castiel showed him the night before: the nest they sat in together. He had to get to him. He had to save him. 

He was about to call out to the angel, but he heard suddenly footsteps and saw a dark figure carefully approaching. His heart clenched in dread, but a moment later he felt sudden monumental relief. There was no mistaking that height or that shaggy mane. It was Sam. 

“Dean?” Sam whispered as he approached, shock in his voice. “What are you doing here?” 

“I work here,” he replied. “What the hell are you thinking?”

“Sarah?” Sam sounded even more bewildered now, but when his eyes fell on Jess his voice became frantic. “Jess—what the hell are you doing here!” 

“Sam,” Sarah said firmly, drawing his attention back to her. “The keycard we gave you. Do you still have it?” 

“Yeah, of course.” 

“We need it. The door is locked and we can’t get through.”

“I’ll go let you in,” Sam replied. “I’ll meet you at the front.”

“No!” Dean cried. “Just--give it to us and we’ll meet you.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Dean said firmly. “Someone needs to keep an eye on Cas. You saw what was in Crowley’s office?” 

“Yeah,” Sam nodded. He looked reluctant, but he knelt down and slipped the small piece of plastic through the tiny opening at the base of the fence. Dean snatched it up and motioned for Jess and Sarah to follow him. 

“Be careful,” Jess whispered urgently. Sam nodded, smiling sadly. 

It didn’t take them long to make it to Sam, and Jess wasted no time in throwing her arms around him and kissing him senseless. Sarah looked away, embarrassed, but Dean was too worried about Castiel to notice. He approached the Alpha’s enclosure slowly, worried that he couldn’t see him. 

“Cas?” he whispered into the darkness, straining to catch any sign of movement that might signify the angel was still there. 

“Cas, please,” Dean pleaded. “I need to know you’re okay.” 

“Maybe it’s us,” Sam suggested, standing next to Dean and staring into the enclosure. “He hates humans, right? There are three here he’s never seen before.” 

Dean nodded. Sam definitely had a point. He still needed to make sure the Alpha was okay though. 

“Wait here,” Dean told Sam, Sarah and Jess, before walking to the control box. He quickly punched code in and the small entrance opened. He crouched down to crawl through, but Sam immediately pulled him back. 

“What the hell are you doing, Dean? You can’t just crawl in there.” 

“It’s fine,” Dean reassured him. “Cas won’t hurt me.”

“He might if he’s mad about you bringing us here,” Sam replied. He looked worried, but Dean found the idea laughable. 

“Cas wouldn’t hurt me, Sam. I know him.” 

Sam didn’t look convinced, but he pulled back reluctantly and allowed Dean to continue. Dean did, pulling himself through the opening and standing shakily inside of the enclosure. 

“Cas?” he called again, a bit louder this time. Still no response. He looked over at the bars. Sam, Jess and Sarah were standing on the other side, watching him nervously. He approached the massive trunk of Castiel’s tree and looked up when he reached it. It was too dark to see much, but if Castiel was anywhere it was there. 

“Cas, come on. I need you.” 

Apparently that was enough to finally push the Alpha out of hiding, because almost immediately Dean heard the leaves rustling above him. He barely had time to yelp in shock when he felt something grip his arms firmly and pull him up. 

He was still disoriented when Castiel deposited him in the nest, and it took him a few moments to bat away the hands that were touching him frantically. 

“Cas-stop!” he finally managed to splutter, crawling away from the Alpha to the other end of the nest. Castiel was staring at him, eyes wide. 

“Dean. Are you hurt?”

“What—no,” he replied, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. “You scared the hell out of me though.”

“I’m sorry,” Castiel said gently, reluctantly keeping his distance. “But you sounded desperate, I thought something had happened. Did those people—”

“—Cas, that’s my brother,” Dean laughed. “He’s not here to hurt you. He’s actually trying to help.” 

Castiel narrowed his eyes, and Dean could tell he was unconvinced. “Would it be too much for me to ask you to trust him?” 

“I trust you, Dean,” Castiel said. It was a non-answer, but Dean knew what he meant. He sighed in frustration. 

“Has anyone been here tonight, Cas? Any of the scientists?” 

Castiel shook his head, and Dean didn’t miss the way his wings tensed. Dean was just relieved they got here in time. 

“Who are the others?” Castiel asked, glancing down through the canopy. 

“Sarah and Jess,” Dean replied. “Jess is Sam’s fiancé.”

“Fiancé?”

“Yeah. Like…” Dean stopped for a moment, trying to imagine how to explain it in terms and angel would understand. “They’re not mates yet—but they both know they will be.” 

Castiel didn’t say anything to that, just nodded in understanding. Dean sighed in relief. He wasn’t completely sure if angels had something similar, but judging by Castiel’s reaction they did. 

“Dean!”

Dean looked down through the branches to Sam’s frantic waving from the other side of the bars. He looked pale and terrified, and Dean couldn’t really blame him. It probably looked bad that Castiel had just sort of snatched him up into the trees. 

“I’m fine!” he called back down, hoping that Sam would stop yelling. They didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention. Unfortunately, it seemed it was already too late. Castiel suddenly snarled, and Dean felt himself yanked back and out of sight. He could just make out the bright ray of a flashlight as it reflected through the leaves and off of the colored glass over Castiel’s nest. Their hopes of making a quiet escape were dashed. They had been found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this chapter was okay. Due to family and other issues, I haven't written anything for about a month, and I feel super rusty. Thanks for sticking with this story though, and I really hope you continue to enjoy it <3\. If you have any questions about anything, please don't hesitate to ask, either in the comments or on my tumblr (starlightstiel.tumblr.com).


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